Five Elementary School Students Honored with AAA Lifesaving Medal for their Heroic Actions
AAA School Safety Patrol celebrates 90th anniversary in nation's capital by honoring students who saved the life of another
WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AAA honored five elementary school students today with the prestigious AAA Lifesaving Medal for their heroic actions as a AAA School Safety Patrol member that saved the life of someone else. From putting themselves between inattentive, speeding drivers and young students to pulling distracted students out of harm's way to remaining calm and poised when many adults did not when crisis struck, each of the five students' quick thinking was instrumental in preventing serious injury or death to those they helped patrol.
In a ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of the AAA School Safety Patrol program, the students were honored by AAA Public Affairs Vice President Kathleen Marvaso and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent John Tani Jr., a recipient of the U.S. Secret Service Life Saving Award and Valor Award. Marvaso and Tani presented the five young heroes with the highest School Safety Patrol honor, the AAA Lifesaving Medal, in addition to recognizing 11 other students from across the U.S. as National Patrollers of the Year.
Today's awards ceremony was the culmination of a three-day event in the nation's capital honoring the students and celebrating the Safety Patrol's 90th anniversary that included an exclusive hands-on, behind-the-scenes VIP event with the FBI.
The five young heroes receiving the AAA Lifesaving Medal join an elite group of only 392 students to receive the honor since it was first awarded to a life-saving AAA School Safety Patrol member in 1949. The students receiving the AAA Lifesaving Medal this year included:
Ian Valles, Age 13, Heights-Murray Elementary School, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
As sixth grader, Ian Valles was on his way to his AAA School Safety Patrol post with his mother on the morning of January 9, 2009. At a busy intersection, they witnessed a van strike 80-year-old Adult Crossing Guard Edward Martin, who saw the van was going to run a red light and heroically pushed a mother and her children to safety putting himself in harm's way. Ian's mother was so distraught at what she and her son had just witnessed; she had trouble calling 911 from her mobile phone. However, Ian kept his composure and called 911 for assistance. Ian stayed calm and gave directions to the paramedics. He stayed by Martin's side until help arrived and told spectators who wanted to move him out of the roadway not to for fear of him sustaining additional injuries. Due to Ian's calm and composed actions, he saved the life of Edward Martin and reassured him until medical help arrived.
Lauren Micolichek, Age 12, Southview Elementary School, Chippewa Falls, Wis.
Lauren Micolichek was on duty the afternoon of April 20, 2009, helping students cross an intersection. While patrolling, Lauren noticed a fast approaching vehicle about to make a left turn into the crosswalk. Lauren and another patroller quickly moved out of the way. However, an 11-year-old girl dribbling a new basketball was distracted and began to walk into the crosswalk. Lauren's quick reflexes kicked in as she yelled for the student to "wait" and blocked her from walking further into the crosswalk. For the remainder of the afternoon while at her post, Lauren was heard mumbling something to herself. It was the license plate number of the vehicle that had almost struck the three children. She had turned into a rhyme that she kept repeating to herself so she could remember it while finishing out her Safety Patrol duties. Remembering the license plate allowed local enforcement to contact the driver of the vehicle, who admitted to running through the crosswalk.
Charles Tate, Age 11, Second District Elementary School, Meadville, Pa.
As a fifth grade safety patroller, Charles Tate was on post the afternoon of November 16, 2009, helping students cross the busiest intersection at his school. On this particular day, Charles was holding his arms out to direct a group of students to stay behind him until the adult crossing guard announced it was safe to cross. An impatient kindergarten student ignored his directions and ran around the group of students into traffic just as a large truck was fast approaching. While other students yelled to the child, Charles bravely ran into the middle of the road, grabbed the student by the back of his shirt and pulled him back to safety -- even while the kindergarten student struggled with him to get free and continue running across the road.
Michael Grady, Age 10, Defer Elementary School, Grosse Point Park, Mich.
Michael Grady was on duty the morning of September 16, 2009, just before class was to begin. Traffic was heavy as parents running late tried to get their children to school before the tardy bell. Michael checked both intersections and noted they were clear as he allowed a group of six students to cross. As they stepped off the curb, Michael noticed a car making a turn around the corner and accelerating as it turned and approached the group. Knowing the students were in danger, Michael stepped through the pack, stretched out his arms and prevented them from continuing into the path of the vehicle. The passing vehicle was within a foot of Michael as he bravely placed himself between the car and the students. Michael's bravery and ability to quickly react to the situation saved the lives of his fellow students.
Jerome Manning, Age 11, Defer Elementary School, Grosse Point Park, Mich.
Jerome Manning was patrolling his assigned post on the morning of January 12, 2010, where his duties include helping students cross the busy school driveway. On this particular morning, cars were parked on the roadway in front of the school in a no-parking zone, hindering visibility to the schools entrance. Jerome had checked for traffic, deeming the path was clear and signaled for a 7 year old to cross. As the student began to cross the school's entrance, a vehicle turned the corner without stopping. Jerome realized the driver did not see the student in the crosswalk and knew the vehicle was not going to stop. Without hesitation, he reached out and grabbed the student by his backpack, stopping him from walking right into the path of the car. The 7-year-old student's mother witnessed the incident and said the car missed her son by about six inches. If it wasn't for Jerome's ability to act quickly, the student would have been struck by the vehicle.
The 2010 National Patrollers of the Year also were recognized during today's ceremony for leadership qualities, safety skills, school involvement, citizenship and volunteerism. This year's National Patrollers of the Year included:
- Amanda Carr, Fifth Grader, Cholee Lake Elementary School, Greenacres, Fla.
- Katelyn Clark, Fourth Grader, Helke Elementary School, Vandalia, Ohio
- Meredith Engel, Sixth Grader, Put-in-Bay School, Put-in-Bay, Ohio
- Claire Hitter, Sixth Grader, Richmond Elementary School, Appleton, Wis.
- Jennifer Lascon, Sixth Grader, Sheridan Elementary School, Elgin, Ill.
- Molly Leslie, Fifth Grader, Grayling Elementary School, Grayling, Mich.
- Katie Martin, Sixth Grader, Fox Mill Elementary School, Herndon, Va.
- Cordell Means, Fifth Grader, Dreamkeepers Academy of J.J. Roberts Elementary School, Norfolk, Va.
- Julia Robb, Fifth Grader, Carnegie Elementary School, Carnegie, Pa.
- Kaitlyn Rooney, Fifth Grader, Center Street School, Williston Park, N.Y.
- Stephanie Vangilder, Sixth Grader, East Dale Elementary School, Fairmont, W.V.
The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety honored Ralph Coushman from Chippewa Falls, Wis., with the National Patrol Advisor of the Year award for his 40 years of dedication to assisting AAA School Safety Patrols. The AAA Foundation also awarded the 10 grants for $500 from the AAA School Safety Patrol Charles M. Hayes Advancement Fund for schools in need to enhance their Safety Patrol program.
The AAA School Safety Patrol program has helped improve student travel to and from school for 90 years. Currently, 585,000 students in 30,000 schools across the country participate in the program, making it the world's largest safety program.
Former AAA School Safety Patrol members include Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden as well as several Supreme Court Justices, U.S. Senators, governors and U.S. Olympic gold medalists.
As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.
AAA news releases, high-resolution images, broadcast-quality video, fact sheets and podcasts are available on the AAA NewsRoom at AAA.com/news.
Video and photos of the AAA Lifesaving Medal recipients and National Patrollers of the Year during their time in the nation's capital is available at http://www.flickr.com/AAAsafety.
An informational video about the AAA School Safety Patrol program is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQsnzhi584g.
A list of famous former AAA School Safety Patrol members is available at http://www.aaapublicaffairs.com/Main/Default.asp?CategoryID=7&SubCategoryID=25&ContentID=71&SubContentID=96&.
Stay connected with AAA on the web via:
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
Christie Hyde
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=64864
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080226/DC15031LOGO)
SOURCE AAA
Share this article