Extraordinary acts of heroism by 22 in U.S., Canada recognized by Carnegie Hero Fund Commission

PITTSBURGH, April 18, 2013 /CNW/ - In its first award announcement of 2013, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission today named 22 individuals as recipients of the Carnegie Medal. 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. Four of the awardees died in the performance of their heroic acts.

The heroes announced today bring to 9,598 the number of awards made since the Pittsburgh-based Fund's inception in 1904. Commission President Mark Laskow stated that each of the awardees or their survivors will also receive a financial grant. Throughout the 109 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, more than $35 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance. The awardees are:

Loren Earl Hazen, deceased	Kalkasa, Mich.
Mark Kevin Breen, Jr.	Hudsonville, Mich.
Daniel G. R. Livingston	Courtenay, B.C.
Jonathan M. Nielsen, Sr.	Morrisville, Vt.
Michael F. Schiotis	Spring Hill, Tenn.
William L. O'Connor	Gold Beach, Ore.
Mark A. Garsteck	Mount Pleasant, Pa.
John E. Swartz	Mount Pleasant, Pa.
Stacey Lynn Feiling, deceased	Mount Pleasant, Pa.
James W. Linthicum	Wichita, Kan.
Wilfred L. Spencer III	Moundsville, W.Va.
John A. Lais, deceased	Burlington, Vt.
Jeffrey W. Caldwell	Frenchtown, N.J.
Michael A. Pellegrino	Brick, N.J.
Frederick K. Dow	Ewing, N.J.
Alan B. Hall, deceased	Land O'Lakes, Fla.
Christopher DeFelice	Philadelphia, Pa.
Cody Lewis Decker	DeWitt, Mich.
Luke Daniel Vaughn	DeWitt, Mich.
Brandon M. Wemhoff	Lincoln, Neb.
Nicholas Ray Dorken	Innerkip, Ont.
Tray Hughes Ross	Gainesville, Ga.

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

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

SOURCE: Carnegie Hero Fund Commission

http://www.carnegiehero.org