Every hero on the map

K9 Spike

Burbank, CA

Burbank police dog gave his life to protect officers during a dangerous manhunt

Chicago

Quilen Blackwell

Chicago, IL

CNN Hero of the Year who turned Chicago's vacant lots into flower farms that employ at-risk youth

Cincinnati

Joanne Gerson

Cincinnati, OH

Mobilized 100+ Cincinnati faith communities to act on climate and sustainability

Coeur d'Alene

Tess Reasor

Coeur d'Alene, ID

Coeur d'Alene mental health advocate who founded a recovery nonprofit and was surprised with a Hometown Hero award

Collierville

Dr. Brandi De La Cruz

Collierville, TN

Collierville math teacher named 2025-26 Tennessee Teacher of the Year

Corpus Christi

Parent / Family Member

Ernest Flores

Corpus Christi, TX

Corpus Christi husband kept his pregnant wife and unborn daughter alive with CPR

Corvallis

Marissa Smith

Corvallis, OR

Labor and delivery nurse of 20 years honored for calm compassion during a maternal emergency

Dallas

K9 Figor

Dallas, TX

Shot in the chest protecting his partner, this Dallas K9 earned the Medal of Valor

Des Moines

John Wonio

Des Moines, IA

Des Moines man rushed into burning home twice to save his elderly neighbors

Enumclaw

Beth Madill

Enumclaw, WA

Enumclaw substitute teacher honored with Citizen Lifesaving Award for CPR that saved a student

Evansville

Paramedic Ryan Rizen

Evansville, IN

Evansville paramedic saves a motorcyclist with CPR while off the clock

Fairfield

Alex J. Plitsas

Fairfield, CT

Bronze Star Army vet helped evacuate 10,000 people from Afghanistan — from a Connecticut home office

Fargo

K9 Uno

Fargo, ND

Fargo narcotics K9 inducted into North Dakota's Animal Hall of Fame after years of dedicated service

Galion

Anna Smith

Galion, OH

Maternity nurse honored for extraordinary compassion during a family's devastating loss

Glassboro

Vivian Peyton

Glassboro, NJ

From dogfighting survivor to ASPCA Dog of the Year, Vivian Peyton changed lives at every turn

Hancock

Hancock Rescue Squad and Fire Department

Hancock, MD

Hancock first responders team up to bring a heart attack patient back from the brink

Havertown

Leon Smith

Havertown, PA

Haverford High teacher named 2026 National Teacher of the Year

Herndon

Officer Neil Simpson

Herndon, VA

Off-duty Herndon officer stops domestic attack, is stabbed while protecting a stranger

Hockley

Other

Juan F. Lopez

Hockley, TX

Texas teacher tackled an armed gunman to protect a school full of families

Holly Springs

Other

Eddie Hunnell

Holly Springs, NC

Software engineer swam into Hurricane Helene floodwaters to rescue a trapped woman

Huntsville

Firefighter Tristan Stuckey

Huntsville, AL

Huntsville firefighter earns Medal of Valor for zero-visibility bedroom rescue

Hutchinson

Van Karg

Hutchinson, MN

Vietnam vet drives 30,000 miles a year so fellow veterans never miss a medical appointment

Kenner

Arita Bohannan

Kenner, LA

Raised over $500,000 to build Louisiana's first all-inclusive playground for kids with disabilities

Ludowici

Other

Brian Patterson

Ludowici, GA

Retired soldier ran to a burning car to pull an 11-year-old girl to safety

Manchester

Matthew Buchan

Manchester, NH

Manchester neighbor leaped a fence and fought off attacking dogs to save an 8-year-old boy

Mankato

Volunteer

Jim Weart

Mankato, MN

Mankato mentor has spent 15 years guiding at-risk youth through the YMCA Brother/Sister Program

Mathews

Amy Ashberry

Mathews, VA

Mathews County kindergarten teacher honored for sending 11,000 care packages worldwide

Miami-Dade County

K9 Roxi

Miami-Dade County, FL

Miami-Dade narcotics K9 killed in the line of duty, honored at National Police Week in Washington, D.C.

Nashville

Sgt. Bo

Nashville, TN

Therapy dog who comforted Covenant School survivors wins national Hero Dog Award

New Hampton

Meagan Murray

New Hampton, IA

Iowa mail carrier saved 85-year-old woman trapped in a burning home on her route

New Haven

Charles M. Pickett

New Haven, CT

Iraq and Afghanistan vet built New Haven's first veteran service posts and fights veteran suicide as a teacher

New York

Román Baca

New York, NY

Marine machine-gunner turned ballet dancer heals veterans through the power of movement

Pasadena

Jacqueline Broxton

Pasadena, CA

Pasadena nonprofit leader who has awarded over $700,000 in scholarships to Los Angeles County foster youth since 2018

Plainfield

Megan Johnson

Plainfield, IN

Plainfield fourth-grade teacher named 2026 Indiana Teacher of the Year

Sacramento

Paramedic John Doughty and EMT Edward Slivinskiy

Sacramento, CA

Sacramento medics rush into a downed helicopter to save a trapped survivor

Salem

George Hubbard

Salem, VA

D-Day Navy vet who piloted troops to Utah Beach honored on the 82nd anniversary of the Normandy landings

Salisbury

Ann Barber

Salisbury, NC

36-year Army veteran mentors fellow vets and hauls firewood for those in need

Shreveport

Roy Griggs

Shreveport, LA

Led the campaign to build northwest Louisiana's first Ronald McDonald House

Springfield

Sally Golden

Springfield, OR

Springfield special ed teacher named 2025 Oregon Teacher of the Year

Tampa

Kelly Llewellyn

Tampa, FL

VA nurse saved a man's life at a softball game using an AED and CPR just days after completing training

Temecula

Thomas Mann

Temecula, CA

Temecula lifeguard stopped at a gas station and performed CPR on a stranger, saving his life

Texarkana

Volunteer

Mark and Nadara Sperry

Texarkana, TX

Texarkana couple has run a church food pantry for over 20 years, feeding thousands each month

Valdosta

Mary Margaret Smith, Ruby Craft, and Angie Efird

Valdosta, GA

Three off-duty nurses performed CPR and saved a driver who suffered a cardiac event

Warren

Tessa Card

Warren, PA

Pennsylvania nurse turned a frightening emergency surgery into a bearable experience through compassionate care

Wilmington

Ross Eckbold

Wilmington, DE

ER nurse reunited a missing, non-verbal patient with his family after days apart