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Breakfast this morning was all about heroes - those who perform acts of kindness in their daily lives and those who step forward and act heroically when the opportunity presents itself.

The American Red Cross honored some of these people at its Contra Costa Heroes Breakfast this morning at Crow Canyon Country Club.

When houses burn down, the Red Cross is there, noted Interim Fire Chief John Ross of the Contra Costa Fire Protection District in his welcoming remarks.

"There are nearly 2,000 local Red Cross volunteers," he said. "They are the ones who respond in the middle of the night and provide food, clothing - and comfort." They also help the victims establish a plan of action to move forward after their catastrophic loss.

The Life Saving Hero award went to Sara Broski, an Alamo teenager who was riding BART home from high school in Oakland when she heard an announcement that there was an emergency on the train. As they pulled in to the Walnut Creek station, she found that a woman had slumped over in her seat due to a cardiac arrest. Broski had just received CPR training from the Red Cross a few weeks earlier so she immediately stepped up to perform CPR on the woman, which ultimately saved her life.

"I reacted so quickly, I wasn't thinking," Broski told the audience. "Then while I was doing it, I was really nervous, I was freaking out! But I couldn't stop so I did what we did in class."

Danville resident Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger III was named the Act of Courage Hero for landing US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River in January and ensuring that all 155 people on board made it to safety.

"He's 'Sully' to his friends, which seems to be everyone in America right now," said Master of Ceremonies Dan Ashley, ABC 7 News anchorman.

"I feel my entire life contributed to that day - the decades of hard work and the tens of thousands of hours," said Sullenberger as he accepted his honor.

He noted that the air temperature in New York the day of the crash was 21 degrees while it was 36 degrees in the water.

"I felt as though all of New York and New Jersey were reaching out to warm us, and it was with blankets from the Red Cross," Sullenberger said.

He said those events led to extensive self-examination and thinking about why the story captured such attention, not just in the United States but everywhere. He decided that it happened at a time when people were wondering if there was anything good happening in the world.

Ashley asked him how it felt to be flying again and Sullenberger responded, "Like coming home."

A Special Appreciation Award was given to the Shimansky family in memory of Mike Shimansky, who was a Red Cross volunteer for many years and helped out after Hurricane Katrina and in the San Diego County fires.

Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich, who presented the award to Shimansky's wife Sue and daughter Cindy, recalled Shimansky's excitement when he helped him contact Sullenberger six months ago to invite him to this morning's Heroes Breakfast.

"There were two places people met Mike Shimansky," said Arnerich. "Volunteering with the Red Cross or on the soccer field." He went on to recall how lost he must have looked years ago when he was coaching a kids' team and Shimansky stepped forward to introduce himself and to offer encouragement.

"He had a unique gift. He could look across the room and see someone who needed help," Arnerich continued.

Earlier, Harold Brooks, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter, recalled being at a financial meeting at the Moscone Center in San Francisco when Shimansky was in another meeting with the League of Mayors.

"He called me out and said to me, 'You guys have a shelter in the Tenderloin. Let's go,'" Brooks recalled.

Brooks excused himself from his meeting for "an emergency" and the two of them helped out at the Tenderloin for several hours. He remembered Shimansky saying that the officials are wonderful people but being able to serve was what really moved him.

Cindy Shimansky said a few words also and said she'd enjoyed hearing new stories about her dad.

"Thank you for my dad," she said. "He would give up anything to help someone in need."

Other awards went to:

• Cpl. Larry Lewis, Act of Kindness and Philanthropy Hero. He has spent the past three decades working with the Richmond Boys club as a school resource officer as well as for the Richmond Police Activities League. He is a mentor to many young boys in the community and was the driving force behind the completion of the Richmond Police Activities League gymnasium, which provides various activities for youths.

• Lori Cohee, Community Service Hero, Individual. As a former foster care child, she understands the emotional and physical needs of children in the foster system. She left a successful career to create a nonprofit organization to provide programs and resources for foster children in the Bay Area.

Cohee said that she lived in six different foster homes and thought that was bad. Now she knows that some have lived in as many as 40 homes, and she knows one 8-year-old who had been in 19.

"How can children thrive when they're being bounced around?" she asked.

The goal of her organization is to build the hopes and confidence of these young people so they can become successful, independent adults.

• Monument Crisis Center, Community Service Hero, Organization. This center provides food, education, assistance and support to families and individuals who have been faced with crisis situations.

"Our oldest volunteer is 92. He started when he was 87-1/2 so there is no excuse," said executive director Sandra Scherer.

She added that since the recession people have been incredibly generous because they realize that the person in need might be a neighbor or someone they know.

• Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Animal Rescue Hero. This group has saved 6,000 injured or orphaned wild animals in the last year, working to release them back into the wild. Its 600 volunteers also work with children to teach them to love and respect wildlife.

To nominate a hero for next year's Community Heroes Awards, visit www.redcrossbayarea.org/heroes.

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