24 Carnegie Medals Awarded in U.S., Canada for Acts of Extraordinary Civilian Heroism

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 17, 2015 /CNW/ -- In its fourth and final announcement of 2015, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission today awarded 24 Carnegie Medals in recognition of civilian heroism throughout the United States and Canada.  The medal is given to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.  Four of the awardees died in the performance of their heroic acts.

The heroes announced today bring to 84 the number of awards made to date in 2015 and to 9,821 the total number since the Pittsburgh-based Fund's inception in 1904.  Commission Chair Mark Laskow stated that each of the awardees or their survivors will also receive a financial grant.  Throughout the 111 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, $37.7 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance.  The awardees are:

Cesar Andy Garcia	Ronkonkoma, N.Y.
Michael Thomas Frawley	Hamburg, N.Y.
Dennis C. Hunke II, deceased	Plainfield, Ill.
Helen Goulet	Courtenay, B.C.
Gary Olson Family	Jefferson, S.D.
Peter Todd Radke, deceased	Medina, Ohio
Wayne L. Hoffman, deceased	Spring Green, Wis.
Michael Campanella	Clifton Park, N.Y.
Adam Matthew Myers	Ballston Spa, N.Y.
Kevin Michael O'Connor	Ottawa, Ill.
Laurence T. Norton III	New Orleans, La.
Clifford W. J. Peterson	Ajax, Ont.
Fraser A. Potts	Limoges, Ont.
Jon Christopher Meis	Renton, Wash.
Steven A. Martin	Northern Cambria, Pa.
Neil C. Burkhardt	Portland, Ore.
Matthew L. Tranel	Maquoketa, Iowa
Cory Alan Simonson	Maquoketa, Iowa
Joshua J. Gardner	Calgary, Alta.
Clifford A. Wright	Sarasota, Fla.
Stuart Chaffin	St. Cloud, Fla.
Boyce Coleman, deceased	Yonkers, N.Y.
Jenna Fanelli	Elmsford, N.Y.
William J. Driscoll	Middleboro, Mass.

Resumes of the acts can be found at http://carnegiehero.org/awardees. Fuller information on the Carnegie Medal and the history of the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission can be found at www.carnegiehero.org.  Find us on Facebook:  facebook.com/carnegiehero.                                 

Contact: 
Douglas R. Chambers
Toll free:  1-800-447-8900

SOURCE Carnegie Hero Fund Commission