SANTA ROSA >> The American Red Cross of the California Northwest will be honoring 15 inspirational community members for their selfless acts of courage at its 14th Annual Real Heroes Breakfast on Thursday, April 27 at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel in Santa Rosa.
Included among the honorees are Officers Dan Mitchell, of Middletown, and Dan Russo. They pulled onto the freeway in Terra Linda during a night of regular patrol when they immediately spotted a car weaving between lanes and tailgating. Sonoma County Sergeant, Jason Bahlman, received the call for assistance and he and Officer Matthew Barawed moved into action. After multiple attempts to stop the vehicle, the car finally came to a halt on Cotati Grade after the car’s tires were shredded by spike strips. The vehicle ignited and burst into flames as Jason noticed there were two small children in the backseat. The officers were able to successfully rescue all of the passengers following their instincts to help those in danger.
After careful consideration, a committee of local community leaders selected the 2017 California Northwest Red Cross Hero Award recipients based on the degree to which their acts of heroism uphold the values of the American Red Cross and leave a lasting and positive impact on the residents of the Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma Counties.
Table sponsorships and individual tickets are still available for the event. Registration will open at 7 a.m., and the program will run from 7:30 until 9 a.m.
