Did you know there is a hero in all of us?

A parole officer, two teen lifeguards, a one hundred year old senior citizen, a doctor, and a scientist were among those recognized by the American Red Cross for their life changing efforts in the capital region.

Nominated by their peers, these honorees exemplified the characteristics of a hero such as courage, selflessness, and perseverance. They were recognized at a luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel in Arden on Thursday, September 15, 2011.

Here are the award recipients and their deeds.

Sean Ferguson saved the life of a 17 year old boy struck by oncoming traffic by quickly responding with first aid. (Image by: Kati Garner) Good Samaritan Adult Hero – Sean Ferguson, 43, called upon his 15 years of American Red Cross training to rescue a teen boy who was struck by oncoming traffic.

Animal Rescue Hero – Patty Letawsky, co-founded the We Pay to Spay program. She is the driving force behind a local dog rescue program, and has personally saved more than 100 dogs from euthanasia.

Military Veteran Hero – Sacramento Patriot Guard Riders banded together to protect soldiers from protesters. They also regularly attend welcome home, send-offs, and funerals of soldiers totaling nearly one hundred missions annually.

Wayne Batchelor courageously dove into a pool and pulled a drowning girl to safety. Pictured with Dawn Lindblom, ARC (Image by: Kati Garner) Good Samaritan Youth Hero – Wayne Batchelor, 16, used his recently completed ARC lifeguard training to courageously dive into a pool to pull a young girl out of the water to safety.

Law Enforcement Heroes – Deputy Mark Limbird and Deputy Matt Silvey worked together to face down a heavily armed man in a residential neighborhood who was endangering the lives of officers and residents.

Spirit of the Red Cross Hero – Todd Reiners volunteers to help women and children stricken by homelessness in the region and helped reunite a homeless man with his family after 13 years. CPR certified for less than a year, Brittany Martin sprung to save the life of a 4 year old boy in her job as a lifeguard. (Image by: Kati Garner )

Professional Rescuer Hero – Brittany Martin, 16, courageously performed CPR to save the life of a 4-year-old boy using her ARC lifeguard training.

Medical Professional Hero – Dr. Mark Drabkin, a Sacramento ophthalmologist performed many sight restoring operations and trained local doctors in developing countries including Ghana, Nicaragua, Nepal, and the Philippines.

Bob Fletcher, 100, accepts his award with a standing ovation from the hundreds of supporters at the banquet. (Image by: Kati Garner) Good Samaritan Senior Hero – Bob Fletcher, who just celebrated his 100th birthday, gave up his job as an agricultural inspector to temporarily care for three Japanese owned farms during World War II, preventing the mortgage from lapsing and protecting the families’ livelihood. Bob received his award citing his wife's support of sixty six years and received a standing ovation from the hundreds of attendees present.

Workplace Hero – Anita Turley rescued a coworker who was suffering from sudden cardiac arrest. She is now traveling the country teaching others the life saving techniques she used to save a life.

Hero of the Year – Selena Li, dedicated more than 1,000 hours of her free time since freshman year in high school to develop a potential alternative treatment for liver cancer. Because of her work, she was able to develop a potential alternative treatment that is more widely available and more efficient than existing transplant and chemotherapy treatments.

Military Hero – US Army Corporal Jarus Perez was awarded the Purple Heart for pulling an unconscious comrade to safety after their unit was attacked while he was injured by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. While he received the best of care in the military for his injuries, he realized that local school children do not have the same care.  In order to raise awareness and funds for health care for kids, he persevered a fifty-mile run recognizing each of the fifty states that require substantial healthcare reform.

"We all have potential to be heroes," says Perez. Pictured with Dawn Lindblom, Red Cross Capital Region Chapter CEO. (Image by: Kati Garner)

“We all have potential to be heroes,” Perez says. “There are many ways to act. Get involved locally with organizations like the Red Cross. Be prepared with first aid/CPR training and give generously with your time, energy, and resources to help others.”

So what are we waiting for? The hero is in all of us. 

Be the change you want to see.