Danville's hero pilot among Red Cross award recipients

By Eric Louie
Contra Costa Times

Posted: 11/03/2009 05:07:48 PM PST

Updated: 11/03/2009 05:07:50 PM PST

Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the Danville pilot who famously landed a US Airways jet safely into New York's Hudson River in January, is among six Contra Costa County residents and organizations honored by the American Red Cross.

Sullenberger and others received annual Contra Costa County Heroes awards from the Red Cross Bay Area chapter at a special event Tuesday. Sullenberger received the Act of Courage Hero Award.

Tribute was also paid to Danville Councilman Mike Shimansky, a longtime Red Cross volunteer who died in September.

Sara Broski, of Alamo, received the association's Life Saving Hero award for a May 13 incident on BART in which she performed CPR on a Clayton woman who had suffered cardiac arrest. Sara, 15, was headed home from her Oakland high school at the time. She had received Red Cross CPR training just weeks earlier.

Richmond police Cpl. Larry Lewis, of Richmond, got the Act of Kindness and Philanthropy Hero award for his work as a school resource officer for the Richmond Boys Club. He has been a mentor for many young people and was the driving force behind completion of the Richmond Police Activities League gymnasium.

Lori Cohee, of Martinez, got the Red Cross' Community Service Hero award for an individual for her creation of the nonprofit Foster A Dream, which provides programs and resources for foster children in the Bay Area.

The Monument Crisis Center in Concord received the Community Service

Hero award for an organization. It provides food, education, assistance and referrals to families and individuals in crisis situations.

The Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek got the Animal Rescue Hero award for its efforts to educate and inform school groups about wildlife and the environment. Docents also are often responsible for rehabilitating injured or orphaned animals that are brought into the museum and getting them ready for release back into the wild.

Reach Eric Louie at 925-847-2123