Six letter carriers from across the nation were honored by the NALC on September 24 at a gala luncheon ceremony in Washington for their heroic and humanitarian deeds.

Timothy Foote of Allen Stuart Branch 500 in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was honored as the 2009
“National Hero of the Year” for racing to a neighbor’s
home, crawling along the floor through smoke and flames, rescuing an unconscious elderly man from a blazing fire.

Emmanuel Anim-Sackey of New Jersey Merged
Branch 38, was presented the National Humanitarian
of the Year award for collecting and sending back to his
native village in Ghana critical goods such as used clothes,
shoes, and school supplies.

In announcing the awards, Rolando noted that the winners continue the proud tradition of letter carriers who have performed heroic and humanitarian acts throughout the union’s 120-year history.

“They don't just deliver mail to the homes and businesses along their routes. They care about the people inside those homes and businesses,” he said. “And when an emergency occurs, the letter carrier is often the first one on the scene and they do not hesitate to act – even if it means putting their own lives in jeopardy. That's why we call them heroes.”

Postmaster General John E. Potter paid tribute to the honorees “as the epitome of our people.”

“These are our heroes,” Potter said. “They are the folks that do the extraordinary and do it just simply
reacting to what’s going on around them. They don’t think it. It is an instinct that postal employees have – to react ... and when the chips are down, we’ll be there.”

Also joining in the ceremony was Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), who is the congressman for Anim-Sackey’s district. He said the honorees were “a credit to letter carriers and a credit to the nation.”

“You are our original first responders,” Pascrell added. “I stand among people who really understand
what public service is all about.”

Three regional heroes and a “Carrier Alert” winner also were honored at the event:

James Patrick of Branch 451 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was named Eastern Region Hero for
helping to evacuate a Roman Catholic pastor and his secretary after flames spread through a church rectory.

Matthew Polnow of Branch 245 in Rockford, Illinois, was honored as Central Region Hero for freeing a terrified, wheelchair-bound woman from a smoked-filled van that was on fire from a three-vehicle accident.

Victoria Wells of Branch 79 in Seattle, Washington, was given the Western Region Hero award
for helping to evacuate 10 children and others from a burning daycare facility on her postal route.

James Brown, Jr. of Virginia Beach, Virginia Branch 2819, was named the recipient of the Special
Carrier Alert Award for interrupting his mail delivery to rescue an elderly women who had fallen inside her home.

• Letter carriers put their own lives and safety at risk.
  
• Letter carriers cast a watchful, protective eye over the neighborhoods they serve.
  
• Letter carriers selflessly give of their own personal time and talents to help the needy.
  
• Letter carriers raise millions of dollars for MDA.
  
• Letter carriers collect tens of millions of pounds of food each year in NALC's National Food Drive.

For them, to serve mean to protect, to assist, to help every citizen
at any time the opportunity arises.

On duty or off, they generously deliver that "extra service" to the American public every day, and in doing so they proudly carry on a great tradition of

Delivering for America.