Awardees to be Announced on Medal of Honor Day, March 25
Washington, DC, February 23, 2021 — The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, today, announced the top 20 finalists for this year’s Citizen Honors Awards. The finalists were selected through two rounds of judging by an independent panel, with the final round judged exclusively by Medal of Honor recipients.
Each year, The Citizen Honors Awards recognize Americans whose exceptional courage and selfless service embody the values of the Medal of Honor: courage, sacrifice, integrity, commitment, patriotism, and citizenship. More than 75 nominations from around the country were received for this year’s prestigious awards.
Every day in this country, ordinary Americans become extraordinary through singular acts of heroism or through a prolonged series of selfless acts. These acts of courage and self-sacrifice symbolize the American spirit and are recognized every year by our nation’s greatest heroes.
Founded in 1999 by Chief Jarvis “Gene” Saunders, Project Lifesaver is a 501 (c) (3) community based, public safety, non-profit organization that provides law enforcement, fire/rescue, other first responders, and caregivers with a program designed to protect, and when necessary, quickly locate individuals with cognitive disorders who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering. While predominantly utilized by those with autism or Alzheimer’s, Project Lifesaver is also helpful in cases of PTSD or other cognitive conditions commonly diagnosed in soldiers and veterans. Project Lifesaver has successfully located 3,756 at-risk individuals. They are a finalist for the Community Service Award.
From these 20 finalists, an honoree in each of the following categories will be honored for their courageous and selfless work for our country:
SINGLE ACT OF HEROISM – recognizes Americans who accomplish extraordinary feats of heroism by risking their lives for the benefit of others in a dire situation.
YOUNG HERO AWARD – Recognizes young Americans age 8-17 for their courage in a dire situation.
SERVICE ACT AWARD – recognizes Americans who consistently place others before themselves through volunteer service.
YOUTH SERVICE AWARD – Recognizes young Americans age 8-17 for placing others before themselves through volunteer service.
COMMUNITY SERVICE – recognizes a community-based organization for its exceptional impact or mission in supporting our nation’s military service members and their families.
The 2021 Citizen Honors Service Awards Honorees (Service Act, Youth Service and Community Service) will be celebrated on July 14, 2021 in Charleston, SC at a dinner being held at The Belmond Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston, SC.
The Valor Awards Honorees (Single Act of Heroism and Young Hero) will be honored in Boston, MA on September 10, 2021 at a dinner at the Seaport Hotel.
The Citizen Honors honorees receive this award from a group of Americans whose actions have defined the words courage and selfless service — the living members of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society. These brave Americans have received the Medal of Honor for their acts of valor performed during wartime and present the Citizen Honors awards to Americans who are showing courage and dedicating themselves to service here at home.
The Congressional Medal of Honor Society was chartered by Congress in 1958 to create a brotherhood among the living Medal of Honor recipients; to protect and uphold the dignity and honor of the Medal; to promote patriotism and love of country; and to inspire our youth to become worthy and dedicated citizens of our nation. Its membership consists exclusively of those individuals who have received the Medal of Honor. Today, there are 69 living recipients of the Medal of Honor. The Society is unique in that its membership hopes that there will be no need to welcome new inductees.
More information on the finalists and the Citizen Honors awards are available by contacting Kristi Hellmuth at Kristi.hellmuth@datocwitten.com or by visiting
https://themedalofhonor.com/citizen-honors/
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