American Red Cross Breakfast Honors Heroes

Six everyday heroes from western Pennsylvania—people who have responded to the call of duty, life and tragedy—received medals and accolades from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross Thursday morning at Consol Energy Center's Lexus Club in Pittsburgh.

This year's recipients, honored at the 2011 Heroes Breakfast, are:

• Medical Professional Hero—Kathy Zwier of Green Tree.
• Educator Hero—Mark Lepore of Mt. Lebanon.
• Lifetime Commitment to the Red Cross Hero—Jim Good of Etna.
• Military Hero—Stephany Ogg of Bethel Park.
• Professional Responder Hero—James Kuzak Jr. of West Mifflin.
• Youth Hero—Ben Sampson of Uniontown.

WPXI-TV sportscaster Bill Phillips emceed the event, which drew about 150 people. The breakfast serves as a fundraiser for the Red Cross chapter.

Jamie Dixon, University of Pittsburgh men's basketball coach, gave the keynote address. Although Dixon is a hero to sports fans for his on-court success for Pitt, his work to promote CPR education following the unexpected death of his sister, Maggie, in 2006 and his efforts to save a man following an accident on I-279 last year, earned him words of praise at the event.

A video was shown of each recipient, followed by them receiving a medal for their service. Each had a different story of heroism to tell.

Kathy Zwier

Zwier, who works as a nurse supervisor in the Hematology/Oncology/BMT unit at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, was at the beach with her family in South Carolina last year when her son came running over to get her help for a man who was being pulled out of the surf. The man was pale and his lungs were filled with water when she began CPR with her sister-in-law's help. She got him breathing before he was turned over to emergency crews. He survived.

"Everybody was in the right place at the right time," Zwier said. "If there's one thing I learned, it's that everyone should have CPR training."

Mark Lepore

When he's not working as clinical coordinator and supervisor for counseling services at Clarion University, Lepore volunteers as a Red Cross mental health volunteer, helping people cope with the emotional trauma caused by disaster situations. His efforts in emotionally trying community disasters have been at the local level, such as the LA Fitness shooting in Collier Township, and on the national scene during traumatic events such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.

He also trains mental health professionals to respond as Red Cross volunteers.

"It's very nice to be recognized in this way," Lepore said upon receiving his award.

Jim Good

Good joined the Red Cross as a volunteer 23 years ago and he is one of the most active volunteers in the chapter. For two decades, he has been a key member of the Disaster Action Team, which responds to local disasters such as house fires, and provides the victims help with their essential needs—food, clothing and shelter. To this day, his first fire call was one of his most tragic and difficult to endure—a fire in Turtle Creek that killed five children and an adult.

"The tragedy of five children and having to deal with it by yourself makes a lasting impression on you," Good said.

Stephany Ogg

U.S. Navy Commander Stephany Ogg has been in the Navy Reserve for 19 years and deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Not only did she defend freedom on those deployments but she also volunteered on humanitarian missions, helping the less fortunate people in those countries with some of their most essential needs. While in Afghanistan, she worked with Afghan military personnel to get food, water, clothing and other supplies—and she also raised funds and contributed money of her own to ensure students had educational supplies.

"The people were thrilled to have us there," Ogg said. "The experience—it changed and enriched my life. These are the poorest of the poor. They were grateful for anything we could give them."

James Kuzak Jr.

Kuzak had been a police officer for 15 years, serving in Homestead, Peters Township, then Clairton when, on a fateful night in April, . According to Clairton police Chief Robert Hoffman, Kuzak's actions prevented crime against innocent residents, including children.

He and fellow officers Matthew McDanel and Jonathan Steiner responded as they needed to, trying to gain entry at the front door. The officers then split up and Kuzak was ambushed by an intruder as he approached the back of the home.

"The first thing I saw was a muzzle flash," Kuzak said in a taped video interview.

He spent almost two months recovering at UPMC Mercy Hospital and was released May 17. He is currently in a wheelchair and suffers from paralysis in his lower limbs. His full-time job now is rehabilitation. As he was unable to come accept the award, Hoffman and McDanel appeared on his behalf.

Ben Sampson

As a high school senior last summer, Ben and his older brother were playing in a charity golf outing at Duck Hollow Golf Club near Uniontown when a fellow golfer collapsed on the ninth hole. At first Sampson thought the man, a family friend, was joking as they "weren't playing the best golf."

When he realized the man was in trouble, Ben and his brother began CPR and continued for 10 minutes until an ambulance arrived, saving the 61-year-old's life after a massive heart attack.

"I look at a hero as someone who serves our country and fights every day," Sampson said. "It is a great honor."