Carnegie Hero Fund Commission Cites 19 for Extraordinary Acts of Civilian Heroism

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In its third award announcement of 2012, the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission today named 19 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. 

Two of the awardees drowned attempting to save others.  William R. Walker, 48, of San Jose, Calif., died July 3, 2010, after entering the rough surf of the Pacific Ocean at Carmel, Calif., to rescue a woman who had been washed from the beach, and William Wilkinson, 17, of Philadelphia, Pa., died May 25, 2011, in the attempted rescue of a friend from the tide-affected waters of the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

The heroes announced today bring to 63 the number of awards made in 2012 to date and to 9,558 the total number since the Pittsburgh-based Fund's inception in 1904.  Commission President Mark Laskow stated that each of the awardees will also receive a financial grant.  Throughout the 108 years since the Fund was established by industrialist-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, $34.6 million has been given in one-time grants, scholarship aid, death benefits, and continuing assistance.  The awardees are:

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