By Doug Fletcher,Staff Writer

AUBURN – The difference between most people and heroes, says Douglas Hoyt Sr., is that “heroes act.”

When Cindy Kungulas heard a man at Roxbury Pond yell for help one afternoon last summer, she didn’t hesitate, Hoyt noted. She called out to the man, who was carrying the limp body of a 4-year-old, to bring the child to her.

She put her Red Cross cardiopulmonary resuscitation training to work. Five compressions and one ventilation later, the child spit up some water, choked a bit and gave everyone a sigh of relief.

Hoyt is executive director of the United Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. He presided over Thursday’s annual Heroes Breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn. It’s the second year the group has honored “heroes” in various rescue categories.

Kungulas, who lived in Rumford when she became a hero but now lives in Lowell, Mass., couldn’t make the event due to an injury, Hoyt said, but that didn’t lessen the importance of her contribution.

“There are those who are trained to respond but don’t,” he said. “Cindy Kungulas did. It’s those people who are heroes. You’re not a hero unless you do something.”

Kungulas was one of 10 individuals honored:

Car slipped: Treacherous road conditions kept Matt Ferland of West Peru from the breakfast. A minor accident on the way to Auburn convinced his family to turn around, said Hoyt.

“We called; everyone was OK,” he said, but they didn’t want to press their luck.

Ferland is another who acted.

On Nov. 23, 2003, Matt’s father was working on a vehicle. It slipped from the blocks pinning him. Matt “took quick and decisive action to jack up the vehicle and pull free his unconscious father,” states the Red Cross notation naming him Youth Good Samaritan for Adult Rescue.

Death-defying jump: Brent Dube of Lewiston is another young man who acted.

“On July 27, 2004, at the Hallowell granite quarry commonly referred to as the 60,’ Brent Dube put his Red Cross Life Guard training into action,” notes his citation.

“Brent’s friend Nick Beauchesne dove off a 54-foot-cliff and upon hitting the water suffered a concussion and didn’t recover. With Nick sinking out of sight, Brent acted. He made the 50-foot jump into the water and after several diving searches located his unconscious friend and pulled him to the surface and eventual rescue.”

Early warning: Cody Henry of Wilton was another honored for quick thinking and bravery.

At 3 a.m. on an icy January night in 2004, Cody woke with a dry mouth and went downstairs for a drink of water. Upon returning to the second floor, he noticed smoke coming from his bedroom,” his citation noted. “He immediately ran to wake his parents on the first floor and then to his brother asleep on the second floor. His timely warning allowed all to escape and enabled a fast response by firefighters.”

Disaster relief: Heroism can come in many forms. Diane Maurais of Livermore was cited for her disaster relief efforts.

When she heard that school custodian Skip Pritsky’s house had been damaged by fire, she spearheaded an effort at the high school. With the help of senior class students, they organized a benefit supper that raised more than $2,000 to help Pritsky and his mother.

Very good neighbor: Farmington’s Richard B. Paul stepped up in a similar way. When he saw neighbor Quintin Smith burned out of his trailer, Paul took it upon himself to raise and coordinate donations, provide Smith first with temporary shelter then a permanent trailer with a well, helped him with clothing, replace appliances and even helped clean up the fire scene.

Child rescue: Response to fire made Raymond Reese of Oxford a hero, too.

When he spotted a neighbor’s trailer ablaze last November, Reese rushed to their aid. Trapped inside the burning trailer were two children. He and a police officer together removed one of the kids, then Reese reached back in through a window – braving dense toxic smoke and intense heat in the process – “to snatch the other child from her crib and to safety,” states his citation.

Facing the heat: Auburn police Officer Andre Levesque also knows what it’s like act in the face of fire. Last January as he responded to a fire call he first helped an elderly homeowner to safety, then learned a woman was still inside.

“Officer Levesque entered the smoking, burning structure to rescue the 90-year-old woman,” states his citation.

Military support: Linda Newbegin of Standish became a hero another way: by providing round-the-clock support for military families. She has put together family support groups, organized networks, put together state conferences and serves as an advisor and counselor for those with loved ones in the National Guard.

Dog hero: Jessy Marston of Mexico teamed up with one of her family dogs, Winston, to rescue her 3-year-old brother C.J. from a vicious attack by the family’s other pet, a 155-pound Rottweiler named Jake.

“With Jake biting C.J.’s head, Jessy and Winston …. came to (the) rescue: Jessy breaking a board over the dog’s back and then kicking the dog to let (C.J.) go and Winston barking and ultimately chasing the much larger dog into the house,” her citation states.

Jessy was presented a Red Cross award for child rescue; Winston was given the organization’s Animal Rescue Award and a package of Pup-Peroni.

WGME’s Gregg Lagerquist emceed the Heroes Breakfast. Lewiston fire Chief Michel Lajoie was the keynote speaker.