PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – A hero is defined as a person noted or admired for nobility, courage or outstanding achievements. Several Aroostook County residents who fit that description were honored April 1 at the 12th annual Real Heroes Breakfast held at Northern Maine Community College.
Hosted by the American Red Cross – Pine Tree Chapter, WAGM-TV 8/FOX 8 and NMCC, the concept for the Real Heroes Breakfast has grown out of a desire to develop an event that is closely related to the mission of the American Red Cross – teaching people how to save lives.
“The Red Cross provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies,” said Joyce Knorr, Aroostook County branch manager of the American Red Cross. “This is done through the simple, yet powerful process of one person putting their needs aside to help another. Across the nation, over 1 million Red Cross volunteers do this each day.
“What better way to celebrate this spirit of humanitarianism than by honoring those individuals who have shown courage, kindness, and unselfish character by their act of heroism in Aroostook County,” she said.
“Fireman” Fred Parsons of Presque Isle served as the event’s keynote speaker.
“When I look for a definition of a hero, it can have a few meanings … different, but just as important. It may be described as a person who doesn’t consider themselves or their own safety, but considers others before themselves,” he said. “Heroes can also be people who help someone in some way. It doesn’t have to be a big task, but can also be just as rewarding if it is a small, unexpected, unsolicited assistance to someone.
“Making someone’s day with just a smile, a greeting, perhaps a handshake or a hug can be heroic. Looking in on someone who may be having a difficult time in their life, or even a phone call, to do nothing more than just listen is heroic,” said Parsons. “You would be amazed how these seemingly little things can brighten someone’s day and even their outlook on life.”
Parsons, a full-time firefighter for the Presque Isle Fire Department, who is also known for singing at fairs, festivals, class reunions and nursing homes, challenged the more than 220 in attendance to regularly perform random acts of kindness.
“I think my willingness to help someone may just go back several years when I skidded off a slushy road in the wintertime and was pulled out of the field by a nice gentleman. I offered to pay him, but he said that was not necessary. All he wanted was for me to help someone else that was in need,” he said. “I challenge you to try to do a random act of kindness every day or at least once a week. You will get an incredible feeling that is actually as rewarding for yourself as it is for your recipient.”
Recognized as 2010 Real Heroes were:
• John Holmquist of Caribou, who received the Clara Barton Award for caring for those who are unable to care for themselves.
Overcoming personal tragedies and hardships has given Holmquist a desire to give his best each day while putting other people’s needs first. In his service as a former police officer and volunteer firefighter, Holmquist has seen other people’s worlds come crashing down. He has been able to relate to the emptiness and difficulty others face when dealing with personal tragedies. Without thinking of himself, his strength, character and devotion enables him to exceed all expectations in helping others.
As a customs officer, Holmquist volunteered to join the Honor Guard team last year. He carries out this role during funerals to honor our country’s veterans. Three days after the earthquake hit Haiti, he was called by his port director and asked if he would consider volunteering to go and help those affected by the natural disaster. Holmquist did not hesitate to volunteer to leave his family in Maine to help with the relief efforts. Although his duty assignment did not take him directly to Haiti, he was detained in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to help process incoming Haitians and others into the United States. His willingness to leave his own personal comfort and security, not knowing how long he would be gone or what conditions he would face, was indeed a sacrifice.
• Marilyn McPherson of Mapleton, who received the Every Day Helping Hand Award for exhibiting care and support to others every day.
McPherson took an accident victim into her home to help him recover from his serious injuries. The man remained in McPherson’s care for many months. She took him to doctor’s appointment and therapy sessions, worked with him daily to make sure he did his exercises, helped pay for prescriptions and personal hygiene items, and did his laundry and cooked for him.
When the man was well enough to find a place of his own, McPherson cleaned the new place for him – washing walls, floors, and kitchen appliances.
• Jennifer Woodman of Presque Isle, who received the Neighborhood Friend Award for realizing and providing help in time of need.
When her friend did not answer her door or telephone April 3, 2009, Woodman used a screwdriver to remove screws and nails around the window trim and was able to unscrew the Plexiglas and unlock the deadbolt and doorknob lock. Woodman found her friend unconscious in her living room. She immediately pulled the woman to the floor, performed CPR and called 9-1-1.
The friend had experienced an epileptic seizure and was unresponsive for an undetermined amount of time. She had gone into kidney failure when she reached the emergency room of the hospital. Doctors said that had she not been found, her organs would have eventually shut down and she would have died.
• Dawn Kerekes of Hodgdon, who received the Red Spirit Award for performing a life saving action such as CPR, AED application, and/or first aid.
Kerekes, a registered nurse at Houlton Regional Hospital’s Emergency Room, was on her way home from work June 16, 2009 when she came upon the state highway department’s work crew and realized someone was in trouble. A worker had suffered a massive heart attack and was lying on the ground. Kerekes prepared for administering CPR and sent someone to obtain an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). She began compressions until the AED arrived. She shocked the patient twice and continued CPR until the ambulance arrived.
Kerekes accompanied the man in the ambulance as he was transported to the emergency room at Houlton Regional Hospital where he was stabilized and lifeflighted to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. He was later sent to Massachusetts General Hospital where he regained consciousness and was taken off a ventilator. After undergoing quadruple bypass surgery, the Littleton man was able to return home. Without Kerekes’ assistance, the individual would not have been able to have undergone further medical treatment or even be alive today.
• Bob Adams of Presque Isle, who received the Valor Award for making a difference in the lives of others by exhibiting courage, selflessness, and strength.
When Adams was 15 months old, he was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, having to take shots daily. When he was 21 and training to be an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), his retina started to detach and he had to have laser treatments to save his eyesight. Last August, he had to have his left foot amputated below his toes. Despite this new challenge, he was able to go back to work full-time.
Adams currently serves as a captain of the Presque Isle Volunteer Fire Department and was recently elected as vice president of the department. He teaches the “Stop, Drop, and Roll” course to school students who know him as “Fireman Bob.” Despite his health issues, Adams always has a positive attitude and never complains about his illnesses. He and his wife are former members of the Parent Teacher Association at their children’s school. Their daughter has graduated from college and their son will graduate from college this spring. He is a member of the Presque Isle Knights of Columbus and stays active in his community.
• Brody Gallagher-Easler and Marky Curtis, both of Presque Isle, who received the Young Courage Award for exhibiting courage, quick thinking and help in time of need.
One day last spring, 8-year-old Gallagher-Easler and 7-year-old Curtis were playing in Curtis’ backyard. As the boys were playing, the older one saw a toddler stirring water in a rain barrel with a stick. The toddler went to reach across the barrel and fell in. The boys quickly went into action as Curtis ran to the house to get help and Gallagher-Easler ran over to the toddler to try to help him out of the rain barrel.
Gallagher-Easler grabbed the toddler’s hoodie and held his head out of the water so he could breathe. Then he proceeded to lift him out. Gallagher-Easler got one leg over the barrel when an adult arrived and helped pull the toddler out. Had the boys not reacted calmly and quickly, the toddler would have drowned.
• Cindy Bomar of Easton, who received an Extra Mile Award for ensuring the mission of the Red Cross is met.
Over the past few years, Bomar has been helping to organize and coordinate the American Red Cross Gift Wrapping booth at the Aroostook Centre Mall. Recently, due to the ever-increasing high costs for products and materials, along with limited paid staff time, the Advisory Council of the Aroostook County Red Cross office felt it was not cost effective to continue this project.
This past Christmas season, Bomar offered to single-handedly take on the entire project herself. While the mall donated space, products and materials, Bomar busily recruited and coordinated volunteers, herself included, from all over the community to wrap the gifts of the many mall Christmas shoppers. Proceeds from this project, over $1,500, were donated to the local Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
• John Metz of Fort Kent, who also received an Extra Mile Award for ensuring the mission of the Red Cross is met.
Since nominating a young woman for a Real Hero Award last year, Metz enlisted as a Red Cross volunteer, taking many hours of disaster training and even became a certified Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) driver. During 2009, he worked diligently in his St. John Valley community to educate hundreds of people about the services of the Red Cross.
Metz spoke one-on-one with numerous community members, ensuring those who still felt vulnerable from the 2008 flood, that the Red Cross would be there to provide comfort, care and support if and when needed. Metz made sure that he, along with other Red Cross volunteers and the ERV made an appearance at every local community event. He helped organize the first Red Cross Walk-A-Thon at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, which brought in nearly $1,000 for Red Cross disaster relief. As an Advisory Council member and disaster volunteer, he was the face of the Red Cross in his community.
Receiving Outstanding Community Spirit recognitions were:
• Dave Cunya of Houlton. The owner of County Yankee Grocer in Houlton, Cunya has an unsurpassed heart of compassion and generous spirit when it comes to making sure other people’s needs are met in hard times. Whether it is donating food products to benefit suppers, community food baskets, or helping in any way behind the scenes, Cunya is always giving to those who have needs. In his quiet manner, he has fed hundreds of people without any public recognition at all.
• Deb Raymond, Helena Ford and Alison Ireland of Presque Isle. Their tireless efforts to protect the SAD 1 student body and staff from the H1N1 virus rose above the call of duty on a daily basis during the potential health crisis. Raymond and her two nursing staff members – Ford and Ireland – implemented a precisely developed plan to educate students, staff and parents about the seriousness of the possible pandemic. They spent many hours formulating letters, uploading seasonal and H1N1 facts and answered countless e-mails and calls about the virus. The team worked tirelessly over the summer, bringing other health care professionals on board to assist with the enormous project. Fourteen clinics were organized and opened to address fears of students and parents, as well as to administer over 2,000 doses of vaccine by Christmas recess. As a result of their efforts, there was a drastic drop of absenteeism during last year’s flu season.
• Presque Isle Junior Varsity Girls Basketball Team. Each Christmas, coach Tim McCue and his wife open their home to the team for a Christmas party. One of the traditions is to have a Yankee Swap among the team members. This year, the girls decided to forego exchanging gifts and use their money to purchase items for our country’s soldiers deployed in Afghanistan. The girls contributed everything from bags of candy, beef jerky, personal hygiene products and other assorted trinkets. The team worked diligently to fill five boxes for the soldiers and all 18 members wrote personal messages on Christmas cards with each member’s signature.
• Nancy Morneault of Connor Township. Over the past 10 years, Morneault has taken an important project to heart. She has personally raised over $62,000 for Cary Medical Center’s WALK FOR CARE mammography department. The money she has raised has helped the hospital’s new Mammography Center go from a dream to a reality.
Proceeds from the Real Heroes Breakfast will benefit the local Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
