Carnegie Medals Awarded To 23 Civilians For Acts Of Extraordinary Heroism

PITTSBURGH, June 30, 2016 /CNW/ -- In its second announcement of 2016, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission today awarded 23 Carnegie Medals in recognition of outstanding civilian heroism.  The medal is given throughout the United States and Canada to those who risk their lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.  One of the awardees, Calindo C. Fletcher, Jr., of Huntsville, Ala., died in the performance of his heroic act, by which he attempted to save a man from drowning in Athens, Ala., last July 4.

The heroes announced today bring to 47 the number of awards made to date in 2016 and to 9,868 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 112 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, $38.2 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance.  The awardees are:

Keith A. Wilt	Frederick, Md.
Matthew J. Geppi	Baltimore, Md.
Kenneth Arnold Hansen	Crystal, Mich.
Raymond L. Robinson	Chicago, Ill.
Christopher Z. Smith	Chicago, Ill.
Andrew Baugh	Mason City, Ill.
Ronaldo R. Romo, Jr.	St. Louis, Mo.
Michael H. Peddicord	Denton, Md.
Donald E. Lee, Sr.	Denton, Md.
Calindo C. Fletcher, Jr., deceased	Huntsville, Ala.
William James Griep, Jr.	St. Francis, Minn.
Benjamin McAuliffe	Apex, N.C.
Ashley Marie Aldridge	Auburn, Ill.
Turner Lagpacan	Wichita, Kan.
Jason C. Newby	Eaton, Colo.
Derrick M. Johnson	Circle Pines, Minn.
M. Neil Jones, Sr.	Binghamton, N.Y.
Kaiden J. Porter-Foy	Lake Stevens, Wash.
Jacob Scott Jones	St. Helens, Ore.
Charles G. Gluckleder	Steger, Ill.
Christopher Canale	Farmingville, N.Y.
Christopher T. DePaoli	Irvington, N.Y.
Kelly Winters	Chapin, S.C.

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: www.facebook.com/carnegiehero.        

Contact:  Eric P. Zahren
Toll free:  1-800-447-8900

SOURCE Carnegie Hero Fund Commission