LEWISTON – American Red Cross United Valley held its annual fundraising event, the Real Heroes Breakfast, to recognize individuals and groups from the communities who have demonstrated acts of heroism and have shown courage, kindness and unselfish character in their service to others.

This year’s breakfast was held on March 15 at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College with 140 people from the four counties served attended.

Auburn Mayor John Jenkins addressed the gathering, highlighting what it means to be a hero. Lewiston Mayor Larry Gilbert was on hand as was Central Maine Medical Center CEO Peter Chalke, honorary chairman. Tory Ryden, WMTW Channel 8, was the emcee.

Community support for the breakfast ensures that the Red Cross can provide local disaster relief and reach out to residents in Androscoggin, Franklin, Kennebec and Oxford counties to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

The Community Medical Outreach Award was presented to Sheila Roy. When Roy learned of the struggle of a student’s family to stay together after the death of their mother, she dedicated a great amount of energy to helping the children get the things they needed.

Roy’s efforts to help this family did not go unnoticed, and food, blankets and warm clothes began coming in from other resources, and the family was adopted by New England Life Care for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Public Safety Award went to Officers Corey Jacques and William Rousseau. They were the first to respond to a structure fire call in Lewiston on a November night in 2006. Upon their arrival, they surveyed the area and saw a man sleeping in his bed. They noted that a portion of the house was fully engulfed, and tried to alert the man.

When attempts failed, Jacques threw a large cement block from the exterior porch at the bedroom window, breaking it and waking up the sleeping occupant. The officers then assisted him outside as the room filled with smoke. When outside, the man said his dog was still inside, and Rousseau entered the bedroom to retrieve it.

The Outstanding Medical Outreach Award was presented to Dr. Kevin Kendall and Central Maine Medical Center.

Cardiac emergency response can now be initiated by paramedics, thanks to a new program Central Maine Medical Center and the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute have developed. CMMC was the first cardiac center in Maine to extend its emergency cardiac angioplasty response capabilities into the emergency medical services system.

Kendall, emergency physician and director of EMS, has been instrumental in the success of the program, and has spent many hours working with paramedics.

The additional training has given EMS squads in Lewiston/Auburn, Turner, Winthrop, Lisbon, Poland and Monmouth the expertise to initiate the CMMC emergency cardiac response with a radio call from the scene, and additional squads are being approved for the near future.

Christian Bate received the Life Remembered Award. Bate underwent a bone marrow transplant in an attempt to save his 4-month-old son Colby, who had leukemia. Despite the efforts of the family, Colby’s tiny body could not conquer the disease.

The Bate family endured fear, stress and sleeplessness while trying to find a cure for their young child. All the while, Bate remained a “strong, hard-working, devoted father,” taking care of his family and paying hospital expenses. The award was given to Bate in honor of the life of his son.

The Young Adult Life Saving Award went to Erin Murphy. When Jamie Steven began choking on a gumball at a dance recital last year, her father said, “It was true fate and extreme luck for my family that Erin Murphy was nearby.”

Murphy performed the Heimlich maneuver on Steven, dislodging the candy from her air passage and allowing her to breathe again.

Steven’s father Michael said, “The Steven family owes a debt of gratitude to Erin for quick thinking and the training, background and calmness to save [their] daughter’s life.”

The Community Impact Award was presented to Ashley Morgan because of her dedication to and love for the Lewiston community.

As vice chairwoman of the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council, Morgan took the lead on an underage drinking awareness campaign; has raised money the last two holiday seasons for New Beginnings; represented LYAC in Lewiston’s 2006 quest for an All-American City award; advocated for the “Is Your Number Up” initiative; assisted an effort to raise funds for electronic message boards for Lewiston High School; and participated in a “Get Out the Vote” video, two downtown holiday celebrations, the YWCA 2006 Walk Against Violence and other community events.

She was named Lewiston’s Shining Star for 2005 for her positive impact and contribution to the community.

Emily Beaulieu, 8, was presented the Youth Community Service Award. Beaulieu dedicated her seventh- and all future birthdays to collecting toys for children who are victims of house fires. Based on this philanthropic goal, Beaulieu created the charity called “Emily’s Wish” in January of 2006.

Beaulieu has collected more than 1,500 new toys for children who have lost theirs to fire or other devastating event. She has been recognized for her contribution to Maine’s children by President George W. Bush, Gov. John Baldacci and other Maine public officials and businesses.

The Youth Life Saving Award was given to Trevor and Travis Desmond. As the brothers, Travis, 9, and Trevor, 12, were preparing to go fishing with their dad, the boat trailer slipped and pinned Mark Desmond beneath it. The boys’ quick response to the emergency saved their father’s life.

Due to EMS training the boys had received at school and to their mother’s home education on first aid, the brothers acted as a team and remained calm. While Trevor ran to call 911, Travis stayed with his dad and administered basic first aid along with the comfort and care.

The American Red Cross United Valley Outstanding Volunteer Service Award was handed to Jerry Dewitt, a Red Cross volunteer for more than 35 years.

Beginning as a chapter volunteer in 1970, he became a CPR instructor in 1971, served on the board of directors and received the Clara Barton Award for his dedication. Dewitt has served as a “beyond-the-chapter leader” as an Armed Forces consultant for the eastern United States region and is serving as chairman to the National Volunteer Veterans Services Committee through American Red Cross.

M/Sgt. John Johansen was honored for Outstanding Military Service.

Johansen, father of two and grandfather of four, has served in the U.S. Army Reserves for more than 20 years. As a master sergeant in the U.S. Army, he has been serving in Kabul, Afghanistan, since March 2006, where he trains Afghani Army regulars in military tactics to prepare them to defend and protect their country. He commutes a dangerous 15 to 20 minutes to and from the training academy and lives in a “safe house” guarded by 40 armed Afghani soldiers.

Prior to being deployed to Afghanistan, Johansen’s unit served in the U.S. Gulf Coast region, assisting in the clean up of neighborhoods devastated by Hurricane Katrina in the Biloxi, Miss., area.

Johansen is a family independence supervisor with the Office of Integrated Access and Support at the Department of Health and Human Services in Lewiston. He is honored for serving his country at home and in harm’s way across the world.