What’s it like to be saluted as a hero in a roomful of other heroes?
“Amazing,” said Cameron Granger, 14, who, along with his sister, rescued three teenagers from a riptide at Huntington State Beach.
Their swift action earned them the 2015 Youth Hero of the Year Award at the Orange County Register’s third annual Salute to Everyday Heroes. The dinner and awards presentation, attended by 200 people, was hosted by the Montage Laguna Beach, a founding partner of Everyday Heroes.
The Grangers were among 13 Everyday Heroes whose stories were highlighted by The Register last year in monthly profiles.
The 2015 Hero of the Year Award honoree found herself at a loss for words. “I don’t even know what to say,” said Robin Sinclair, director of Casa Youth Shelter in Los Alamitos, where she mentors runaway and homeless youth.
A sense of humility and joy marked the gathering as each of the honorees accepted a framed glossy reprint of their stories and posed for photos. Hero of the Year honors included two-night stays at the Montage.
And a new honor added for 2015 – Everyday Hero Award, Group or Organization – went to Hearts of Montage, a volunteer group started by the resort’s staff. At the end awardees were saluted over the loudspeakers with a special song: “Heroes” by the late David Bowie.
