The 22nd Annual Red Cross Heroes Breakfast took place May 14 at the Hilton Chicago, drawing more than 800 attendees to honor local heroes and support the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross. The event raised an impressive $1.639 million, bolstered by significant contributions from corporate sponsors and generous individuals. This achievement was further […]
July 2023 saw record-breaking floods on Chicago’s Westside, causing severe home and property damage in the city’s Austin neighborhood. As a longtime Austin resident and community advocate, Jacqueline Reed spearheaded relief efforts, mobilizing resources and volunteers to help 75 homes become habitable. That same month, Firefighter and Paramedic Nicholas DeLeon encountered an active shooter at […]
Fire Chief Tracey Steffes of Morris, Illinois, is the 2022 Red Cross Firefighter Hero Award recipient. Chief Steffes has dedicated his life to his community, serving first as a volunteer fireman for the city of Morris before eventually becoming fire chief. In June 2021, Chief Steffes faced his biggest challenge as the leader of the […]
With more than 800 philanthropic and distinguished guests in attendance, the annual Heroes Breakfast is a celebration of spirit and community. Award presentations are made each year to Chicagoland’s finest heroes in the following categories: Blood Services Hero, Community Impact Hero, Disaster Services Hero, Emergency Medical Assistance Hero, Firefighter Hero, Global Citizenship Hero, Good Samaritan […]
Olivia “Livy” Shorter is just 7 years old and, in many ways, Olivia is a typical little girl. She loves cheerleading, baking cookies, and listening to Beyonce. She is the little sister to brothers Adam, 11, and Dylan, 9. As typical as Olivia is, she has lived with the burden of a chronic, incurable illness […]
“We can do so many things when we are organized,” says Nasir Bin Zakaria, reflecting on what he has achieved in Chicago by creating a community space for Rohingya refugees for learning, healing, and advocating. The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority in Myanmar. As a young Rohingya child growing up in Myanmar, Bin Zakaria […]
As a 41-year veteran firefighter, Michael Casagrande has faced more than 2,000 fires. A Kankakee Fire Department captain, Casagrande is experienced in putting out fires, but knows that fighting fires before they happen is the ultimate battle. Casagrande, who leads the Fire Prevention Division for the City of Kankakee, is dedicated to fire prevention and […]
At only 9-years-old, Charmin BoClaire became a hero to her entire family when she used the fire safety training she learned in school to quickly and safely evacuate her family from their burning home in October 2017. Charmin was in the kitchen when the fire started. She saw her mom’s legs catch on fire and […]
Sheldon Smith’s father was incarcerated when he was just 7 years old. A decade later, Smith was incarcerated himself for robbery at the age of 17. “I never thought I’d live to see 23. I thought I’d be dead by 23,” says Smith. But he didn’t let these experiences guide the trajectory of his life. […]
Kate Dzierzanowski, a client retention specialist for Knox Insurance Agency in St. Charles, remembers looking at the clock on Nov. 6, 2017, at 4:45 p.m. while at work. She thought the day was winding down. Then, she heard a loud noise and looked out the window to see a car had run into the guardrail […]
