Eight Long Beach Heroes named, honored.

NEW: MORE PHOTOS

Congrats to the 2012 Long Beach Heroes!

LONG BEACH HEROES is presented by Justin Rudd’s nonprofit Community Action Team and is funded by proceeds from their Long Beach Turkey Trot. Each Hero is awarded $1,000.

Cindi Young
"Cindi Young is the founder of Long Beach Neighborhood Book Swap, a free book swap cart she started on the sidewalk in front of her home. She started the book swap in Aug. 2012 and it continues to grow daily. She spends her days working as a teacher and her weekends in downtown Long Beach feeding the homeless and their pets. It is a rare occasion when her living room is not filled with donated books and pet food/supplies." - Rosana Miramontes

Coronada King (Hero of the Year, $2,000)
"Ms. King has been volunteering at Carmelitos for over a year. She began volunteering by teaching a computer literacy course; she then started a food program that provides breakfast and lunch to the residents at Carmelitos. Weekly, her program serves around 400 residents and continues to grow. What makes Ms. King so special is not simply the service that she provides but in how she provides the service. When ever someone thanks her she is quick to reply that it is her pleasure to serve. Mon. through Fri., Ms. King and her staff come to Carmelitos to prepare food and feed numerous children without getting anything in return. Never have we had such a selfless, caring service provider as Ms. King." - Jeroll Rodgers

Dan Lubniewski
"Dan is a Marine Corps veteran, so already he's a hero. However, he's been rescuing animals all his life, pigeons in particular. For the past nine years, he's been a champion of injured birds and has become the go-to guy from Animal Care Services for injured birds. He treats pigeons who were hit by cars, cruelly wounded with fishhooks in the neck, and once, punctured in the head with a blow dart. He teamed up with ACS and wildlife rehabilitation advocates Christina Jones of S. Bay Wildlife Rehab and Terry Whatley of Village Pond Rescue, among others. His medical bag contains a net to catch the birds, peroxide, betadine, charcoal to feed poisoned birds, water, scissors, tweezers, a jeweler's eyepiece, and a pigeon pouch to carry the sick or wounded back to rehab. He's rescued a number of rare birds, including a white pigeon that ACS once asked him to get from the shelter. The bird kept returning to ACS despite various attempts to release him. Dan recognized the bird as a domesticated racing pigeon and took him from the shelter. Dan also went commando on a rescue mission in the hundred-year-old American Hotel on Broadway, where pigeons were trapped inside, rescuing many of them." - Kate Karp

Darlene McInerney
"Darlene has been a Rescue Partner, our name for our volunteers, at Long Beach Animal Care Services, for almost two years. She is at the shelter in excess of fifty hours a month, walking the animals, helping the kennel staff by giving the animals clean bedding, grooming, cleaning kennels and helping the public find the perfect pet for their home. She never says no when asked to assist. Not only does she spend time physically at the shelter, but she also networks our adoptable animals through social media and through her own contacts in the evening, donating even more countless hours than we track. Darlene has been entrusted to orient our new volunteers and she has been designated the lead volunteer, making sure the animals will have someone here every day to socialize them." - Kelly Miott

Israel Rodriguez
"Israel's greatest accomplishment isn't his own involvement, rather it is his unique ability to get those around him involved. Israel finds joy in getting his friends and neighbors involved in Long Beach, and cherish their sense of accomplishment when as a group, they realize how much good is achieved. In the past year, Israel has participated in the 30 minute beach cleanup 10 times, helped organize the Haute Dog Howl'oween Parade, wore high heels down 2nd St. (for charity), served as weight loss cheerleader at every Wed. weigh-in for biggest losers, and managed the crowd at the Bulldog Beauty Contest. Additionally, Israel helps those who are suffering, volunteering at the Drop-In Center on Sundays and helping make their annual Gala, the biggest fundraiser of the year, by inviting his friends! Israel also serves on the board of the Long Beach Center, helping with HIV prevention, testing, and education, and supports their community outreach programs. Israel has taken up photography this year, and used is gift to share pictures of the events with the participants, tagging them on Facebook, connecting his new recruits by building a greater sense of community and sharing their community giving." - Keir Jones

Lorian Gordon
"Lorian had a terrible brain injury. She learned to knit and crochet as part of her rehab. She took a class and learned to knit a scarf (which was way too long) so put it in her truck. One day she came upon a homeless woman who was cold. She remembered the scarf and was thrilled at how excited the woman was. She then took a class in knitting hats. Each year she knits hats and scarves for the homeless. She goes everywhere under bridges etc. distributing the 700 plus scarves/hats annually. she creates throughout the year. She also spread love when she gives her hats to each individual. Many people only have Lorian’s hats for warmth. She provides the yarn and know how and now has people helping her knit warmth." - Dixie Dohrmann

Thu-Huong Nguyen
"I met 'Lucy'' this past year, but am sooo impressed by her drive & dedication to the Long Beach community & people. She is involved in the Community Action Team that provides the area with charitable events that promote community, service & entertainment to all people. She is an intricate part of the team, always front & center to support & promote each activity and their participants. She is always there to make sure the set up/break down is complete & the event a success." - Terri Genewich

Ty Wagner
"Ty Wagner is member of the DOGS, Dad's of Great Students, at Twain Elementary School. Twain is blessed to have so many volunteers, yet Ty goes the extra miles. Starting when his daughter Kelcie was in kindergarten, he started being Mr. Fix It on campus. We were in search of a new tarp to cover the kinder sandbox and Ty not only constructed the tarp, he also cleared out and replaced all the sand. He has lined the grass for special events, painted valet drop-off lines on Centralia St. to assist in making the drop-off area safe for children, and he has built the set for our Read Across America Plays, which later are used by speech students to help them practice speaking while reenacting the stories." - Ellen Ryan

LAST YEAR'S PHOTOS: Long Beach Heroes | $16,000 awarded by Rudd's nonprofit C.A.T.