Breakfast Event
On Thursday, March 11, 2010, the Greater New Haven Area 2010 Heroes were honored at the Heroes breakfast event held at The Omni Hotel in New Haven. On behalf of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Red Cross and all of the 2010 Community Heroes, we want to thank you for participating in our Celebration of Heroes for Greater New Haven.

Over 375 individuals gathered to celebrate our heroes and were treated to a morning of inspirational stories about people in our community who cared enough to extend themselves and perform extraordinary acts of courage and kindness. Proceeds from the Heroes Breakfast will assist the American Red Cross to continue to fulfill our mission-- to provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

Emcee: Kristen Cusato, News Channel 8 Anchor 

Sponsors
Statewide Sponsors:
Webster Bank
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
Presenting Sponsor:
Wachovia Bank - A Wells Fargo Company
Sponsors:
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Clean Sweep, LLC
People's United Bank
The New Haven Parking Authority
The United Illuminating Company
Yale - New Haven Hospital

Our 2010 Heroes of Greater New Haven

Fire Fighters Edward Taylor, New Haven Micheal Milano, New Haven	On June 1, 2009, Ed Taylor and Mike Milano, off duty, were on their way back from a hazardous materials training session in Windsor Locks when a trash-hauling truck in front of them suddenly went out of control and slammed into a guardrail. Taylor and Milano pulled the driver from the truck, smothered the flames on him and carried him off the ramp just before the truck exploded due to leaking fuel as a result of the accident.
Law Enforcement Officer Brian Bogert, West Haven	On August 8, 2009, Officer Bogert was playing golf in upstate New York with family and friends when he heard a woman calling for help. Her husband was slumped over in a golf cart and was apparently not breathing. Bogert, with his stepfather Gary Guilmette, began performing CPR and did not stop until paramedics arrived approximately 15 minutes later. The victim survived as a result of his selfless act.
Military Captain Benjamin Sklaver, Hamden (In Memoriam)	Captain Benjamin Sklaver, an army reservist who worked to provide clean water to villages in Uganda, was killed while on patrol in Afghanistan on Friday, October 2, 2009. He was a captain in the 422nd Civil Affairs Battalion, Third Infantry Division on his second tour of duty. He had a special interest in humanitarian work and especially clean water projects.
Water Safety Chris DiStefano, Killingworth	On May 28, 2009, Chris, a student at the University of New Haven, was participating in a study abroad program in France, which was organized and directed by Professor David Perry. While visiting Omaha Beach as part of the course, Chris noticed a French couple screaming and pointing to two children drowning in the water. Chris, without concern for himself, stripped down to his boxers and swam out into the freezing Atlantic ocean to successfully rescue the two French teenagers.
Medical Professional Joseph Grammatico, Wallingford	On August 19, 2009, following a car accident in Wallingford, Joe came upon the accident scene and realized that an 18 year old man had suffered serious injuries when he was ejected from the accident vehicle. Using his experience, training and skills as a physician’s assistant in the cardiothoracic surgery unit at the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven, he was able to stabilize the victim until first responders arrived.
Good Samaritan Adult Michael MacDonough, New Haven	Tow truck driver Michael MacDonough is just a regular guy who did what made sense in an accident situation on July 30, 2009 when a car collided with a brand new tow truck owned by Shore Automotive, where he works.  MacDonough could see the driver of the car was injured with his seat belt dug into his neck and bleeding extensively. Without thinking, he jumped into action to take a fender cover and held it against the victim’s neck wound. keeping pressure to slow the bleeding until the paramedics arrived approximately eight minutes later, keeping him alive.
Good Samaritan Youth Joseph Widman, Wallingford	A second grader at the Cook Hill School, Joey decided not to have birthday gifts at his party last summer. Instead, he asked his friends to donate money to the Dana-Farber Cancer Intitute to support the research of Dr. Mark Kieran and his new treatment for low-grade astrocytoma (PLGA) which is a brain tumor. Joey was diagnosed with PGLA three years ago. Inspired by his actions, two of his classmates followed suit and did the same. He is a leader and master fundraiser.
Good Samaritan Youth Samantha Hart, Wallingford	Samantha is a “trooper” who lives in pain almost every day. As a third grader, she was instrumental in getting the Cook Hill School K-Kids program involved in a dress-down day to support JRA (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis) where they raised over $200. She has raised additional funds for Rosie’s Ride and is a source of activism and education.
Community Impact David Crombie, New Haven	David Crombie is an ESL teacher at the Seth G. Haley School in West Haven. He gives, time and time again, totally of himself unselfishly to his students. He goes above and beyond the expectations of a teacher to support his children in both their academic and personal lives. He was chosen because of his unrelenting devotion to his (usually lower income) students.
Community Impact Tom Pinchbeck, Guilford	During a difficult economic time for Tom Pinchbeck’s Rose Farm in Guilford, he took a new strategy to turn around the farm and help the community. Tom made a huge personal investment in the farm to create Roses for Autism. He has eagerly embraced the development of an innovative program to help individuals on the Autism Spectrum to overcome challenges and master skills that will help them to maintain meaningful employment in the community.
Spirit of the American Red Cross, Adult Paul Velikaneye, Guilford	Paul Velikaneye and his business, Cintas, do extraordinary work for the troops abroad. Each year he partners with the VFW Ladies Auxiliary in Oakville to design and produce t-shirts for care packages. His designs are always a tribute to our veterans, deployed soldiers and military supporters. The shirts have become a collector’s item for the community. These shirts are his way to partner and serve his community.
Spirit of the American Red Cross, Children The Kids of Clean Sweep, Wallingford	The children of employees at Clean Sweep, a disaster recovery business in Wallingford, have dedicated their time and energy to assembling almost 1,000 Comfort Kits for the American Red Cross. They come together after school and on weekends to manage the tedious process of putting together all of the items that go into Adults' and Children's Comfort Kits, which are given to families at the scene of a disaster or house fire to help them during the first 24 to 48 hours. They have committed to continue this effort on an ongoing basis.