Red Cross honors people, organizations who helped during the COVID-19 pandemic

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The American Red Cross of Northeast Ohio held their annual Northeast Ohio Hero Awards Wednesday afternoon.

The 2021 Greater Cleveland Hero Awards honorees included:

· Biomedical Heroes: The Cuyahoga County Library system and Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse are being honored for hosting blood drives throughout the pandemic.

· Essential Services Heroes: Employees of supermarkets, pharmacies and other retail establishments who risked their health and continued to go to work during the shutdown.

· Nonprofit Partner Heroes: The Greater Cleveland Foodbank, for their ongoing efforts to feed families throughout the pandemic. Edwins Leadership and Restaurant Institute for continuing to serve recently incarcerated men and women.

· Frontline Heroes: Medical professionals like Dr. Joanne McKell and Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist Anita White of the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, who worked tirelessly to care for and protect patients throughout the pandemic.

· Volunteer Heroes: Red Cross workers like Jackie Otte who led efforts to provide compassion, comfort and access to resources for people suffering from the physical and emotional effects of COVID-19.

· First Responder Heroes: Allen Morinec and Michael Kuznik of Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood who, forced to return home from college during the lockdown, responded to a fire at a neighbor’s home.

The Red Cross also honored the Haslam family and the Cleveland Browns with the Community Leader Award.

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