25 Throughout U.S. Given Carnegie Medal for Extraordinary Acts of Civilian Heroism

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In its third award announcement of 2011, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission today named 25 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.  Three of the awardees died in the performance of their heroic acts.

The heroes announced today bring to 65 the number of awards made to date in 2011 and to 9,477 the total number of awards since the Pittsburgh-based Fund's inception in 1904.  Commission President Mark Laskow stated that each of the awardees or their next of kin will also receive a financial grant.  Throughout the 107 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, $33.7 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance.  The latest awardees are:

Resumes of the acts can be found at http://carnegiehero.org/awardees_recent.php.  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