15 Local Heroes to be Honored at the 2007 Fred Meyer Breakfast of Champions Event will celebrate ten years of heroism and compassion
  

This year’s Breakfast of Champions continues the Oregon Trail Chapter’s tradition of celebrating a wide range of heroic acts; from well-known acts of courage to individuals who have yet to be recognized by the community for reaching out to help.

Seven hero stories were chosen from more than 30 nominations by a ion committee representing businesses and organizations in the community.

The 2007 Fred Meyer Oregon Trail Chapter Breakfast of Champions is chaired by honorary chair Michael L. Ellis; President, Fred Meyer Stores. Board leadership is provided by this year’s Event Chair; Sarah Friend, Director, Corporate Communication, The ODS Companies. The event will also feature Oregon Trail Chapter Board Chair Patricia J. Brown, and CEO Thomas Bruner. Kerry Tymchuk, State Director for U.S. Senator Gordon Smith, will again serve as Master of Ceremonies.

The Breakfast of Champions raised more than $190,000 last year to support relief from residential fires and other disasters; lifesaving training such as first aid and CPR; emergency preparedness; and transportation for seniors and the disabled throughout the seven-county area served by the Oregon Trail Chapter.

The 2007 Breakfast of Champions heroes will include:

TEAM RESCUERS
Morgan Machinery Moving

Eric Moen witnessed a serious accident at an intersection in North Plains on March 30, 2006: a Toyota car was pinned beneath a tar truck, and hot tar was spilling into the car and onto two men trapped inside. He immediately alerted his employer, Morgan Machinery Moving, just a quarter of a mile away. Called to do what they are trained to do—lift and move heavy, unwieldy machinery and vehicles—the team used their adrenaline and years of experience and went to work. Working together, the Morgan Machinery Moving team looped a heavy chain around the tar truck, lifted it from the car using a 23-ton crane, and shimmed it up tightly and safely.  Their action allowed the fire department to cut the top from the car and within minutes, the trapped passengers were freed. 

YOUTH HERO
Jeff Sorsdahl

Jeff Sorsdahl was an ordinary teenager in an extraordinary circumstance.  One night he awoke to his eyes and throat burning from a fire in his Northeast Portland home. Jeff looked out his second story window to see smoke and flames billowing from the garage. He yelled to awaken his ten year old sister, Chelsea, down the hall, then climbed out his window and jumped to the ground below. After rousing his mother at her downstairs window, he looked up to see Chelsea at her second floor window, sobbing. By now, the entire garage and half the house were engulfed in flames. “I knew I had to go get my little sister. I knew she couldn’t make it out herself,” said Jeff. He ran back into the house and found Chelsea in her room, but now they were trapped by smoke and flame on the second floor. Realizing they must jump out the window to safety 25 feet below, Jeff jumped first and beckoned to his sister, who he caught safely in his arms.

WORKPLACE HEROES
Tina Sadler, Adrian Poscharsckies, and Harley Crowder

When Gail Kelley was driving her father home from a doctor’s appointment on February 16, 2006, he went into sudden cardiac arrest in the car. Gail pulled her car over at the nearest place to stop: the parking lot at Parr Lumber. She ran inside for help, and three quick-thinking Parr employees—Tina Sadler, Adrian Poscharsckies, and Harley Crowder—leapt to the rescue. Adrian calmly called 9-1-1, while Tina and Harley grabbed the AED machine and ran to the fallen man outside. Tina assisted Harley with readying the machine, placing the pads on Bill’s chest and following the machine’s instructions. Harley, who was trained to use the AED, followed the simple prompts and delivered two shocks, stabilizing the man’s heartbeat before EMTs arrived. “The AED machine was a lifesaver to this gentleman,” said Tina. “She could have pulled in anywhere, and she chose the parking lot of a place that had the equipment to handle it.”

ANIMAL HERO
Peter the Dachshund

Chosen by a trainer of assistance dogs from an animal shelter where he was scheduled to be euthanized, Peter, a five year old dachshund, now works as a certified hearing dog and companion to Marieanne Flagg. Peter alerts her to sounds she cannot hear, including visitors at the door and the alarm clock, but his help doesn’t stop there. Peter once prevented an attacking rottweiler from harming Marieanne, and became an even greater hero when he alerted the Flaggs to a fire in their home on April 5, 2005. Marieanne didn’t sense anything was wrong that night, but Peter did. His hair on end, Peter led Marieanne to the back door. She opened it to see the patio filled with black smoke, and the garage on fire. Within thirty minutes the house was engulfed. The Flaggs and Peter escaped unharmed. “I’d be lost without Peter,” said Marieanne. “He’s my hero. If I didn’t have him, I wouldn’t be here today.

BLOOD CHAMPIONS
The Apheresis Donor Club of Oregon

The Apheresis Donor Club of Oregon began with the efforts of long-time platelet donor veteran of 15 years, Priscilla Roberts. Ms. Roberts, along with fellow employees Roy Thoma and Tim Coppernoll, convinced their employer, Intel Oregon, to allow organized platelet drives together with the company’s already routine whole blood drives. The team understands that platelet donations are often used for the sickest of patients such as those undergoing cancer treatment or surgery.  Now, Priscilla, Roy and Tim along with their thirty fellow club members donate platelets regularly, and they encourage other Intel employees at company blood drives to consider becoming platelet donors.

HEALTHCARE HEROES
Dr. Ronald Megyesi, Corinne Coles and Heather Wilde

Dr. Ronald Megyesi, Corinne Coles and Heather Wilde of Powell Valley Chiropractic Clinic saved the life of longtime client Bill Smith only days after they attended Red Cross first aid and CPR training. Bill was on the adjustment table when he suffered sudden cardiac arrest, and the trio went into action, calling

9-1-1 and administering CPR until an emergency medical team arrived. “We had just taken the class,” said Heather. “We knew where we were supposed to be. We all knew our roles. We started rescue breathing and chest compressions.” “We didn’t panic,” said Dr. Megyesi. “We were calm and organized…under the circumstances!” Smith doesn’t remember the events of that day. “They are friends. I admire them,” he said of the healthcare heroes that kept him alive. “I’m glad that the training to learn CPR is there. It saved my life. It did.

COMMUNITY HERO
Fred Rigwood

In November, record flooding in Tillamook County destroyed several homes at the Wilson River RV Park. Fred Rigwood arrived at his mortgage business soon after to find some of the displaced occupants of the RV park in his office, now homeless and desperate. Fred thought hard about how he could help, and got an idea. “There are lots of people who have RVs in their yards they don’t use. If they really knew these people had nowhere to go, they might donate them,” he considered, and he put his compassion into action. With the help of KGW Northwest NewsChannel 8, citizens were encouraged to donate good quality RVs to those who needed homes. A total of 11 RVs were donated, some stocked with amenities like food, new appliances, and warm clothing. “People needed help, and the response was outpouring” said Fred. “In America, we can’t have people on the streets. I wanted to give them a head start.”