AAA Lifesavers are Real Live Heroes
WASHINGTON--May 8, 2001--Demonstrating remarkable courage and a concern for others, three young people from California, Virginia and Minnesota stepped forward to save the life of another person.Dustin Ramirez of South San Francisco, Calif.; Jonathan Waldron from Manassas, Va., and Stefani Egnell of Brooklyn Center, Minn. share a common bond - they are all members of AAA School Safety Patrol at their elementary schools.
"These young people showed a courage and selflessness that is to be admired and congratulated," said Mark Edwards, managing director of AAA Traffic Safety Services. "These young people are heroes in every sense of the word. Most of the time, members of safety patrol perform their duties uneventfully, but occasionally a situation occurs that requires a split second decision that places the patroller in harm's way to save the lives of others."
The three youth will be honored at a special ceremony on Tuesday, May 8 as winners of the 2001 AAA School Safety Patrol Lifesaving Award. The ceremony will be held in the Caucus Room of the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill beginning at 1:00 p.m. As evidenced from their actions, their awards were well deserved.
| -- | Dustin Ramirez, 12, South San Francisco, Calif., prevented injuries to many of his classmates at Our Lady of Mercy School when a car veered out of control onto the sidewalk and into the school parking lot as children were leaving for the day. Dustin's quick action during and after the accident helped maintain control until rescue and police officials arrived. |
| -- | Stefani Engell, 12, Brooklyn Center, Minn., stopped an eight-year-old student from stepping in front of an on-coming car, which had not slowed down despite safety warnings from the safety patroller. Following safety protocol, Stefani was preventing students at Willow Lane Elementary School from crossing the street until she could determine the on-coming vehicle was going to stop. One student did not heed the warning, prompting Stefani's quick action to pull him to safety. |
| -- | Jonathan Waldron, 14, Weems Elementary School in Manassas, Va., stopped a third grade student from being hit by a bus that had begun pulling away from the curb. Since the youngster was in the blind spot of the bus, the driver did not see him and Jonathan's quick thinking prevented what could have been a tragedy. |
Prior the awards luncheon, the three young people will conduct a safety patrol demonstration on Capitol Hill at Independence and New Jersey Avenues, SE. at 11:30 a.m. to remind Members of Congress of the invaluable service provided by members of the AAA School Safety Patrol across the country.
Joining the 2001 Lifesaver Award winners will be Courtney Graf Bernet, the AAA Mid-Atlantic Safety Patroller of the Year. Courtney is being recognized for her efforts to assist another young student suffering a seizure.
AAA started the national school safety patrol movement in 1920. Today, the AAA School Safety Patrol is an organization of 500,000 boys and girls nationwide in 50,000 schools.
Many famous Americans have been safety patrollers including former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Senator John Warner of Virginia, three current members of the U.S. Supreme Court, 21 astronauts and six Olympic gold medallists. AAA feels the program helps young people become leaders by teaching discipline and responsibility.
