Whether hero or contributor, every role matters

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About 15 years ago, I was given a “Hero Award” by the American Red Cross as a result of what the organization termed as “saving a man’s life.”

This was from a 23-mile running relay race along a canal path, where I volunteered to manage an exchange point. It was a hot July event that started at 7 a.m. on a Sunday with over 500 runners. As I was directing about 10 volunteers who logged runner numbers and times and handed out water, there were runners coming in yelling “runner down!” about a half-mile out on the course.

I jogged out and found a runner had slipped and fallen into the canal. The canal was partly overgrown with about 2 feet of murky water. The runner was conscious, alert and needed assistance to get back on the trail. We found a navigable access point and he was able to climb back on the trail. I avoided getting muddy and to be honest, any thoughts of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were not in my plans.

By this time, an ambulance had arrived with two paramedics and a stretcher. The wet runner declined most assistance and walked back to the ambulance to be released. I called and alerted the details to the Red Cross race director stationed at the finish line.

A month after this event, I was asked to be honored at a Red Cross gala with a Hero Award, along with two other recipients. The other two were a police officer who survived a shooting and a firefighter who pulled someone from a burning building. I initially refused to go, based on my actions being nowhere close to those of the other two recipients. The more I downplayed my actions, however, the more I was lauded and admired for my humility.

The gala event is the Red Cross’s largest fundraiser, and the director was a personal friend who persuaded me to go based on what the event generated.

I made it through the evening, gracious and humbled. I hugged my fellow recipients. Their families cried when they were recognized.

It was clear to me that I was less a hero than I was a silent contributor, having volunteered at the race for many years before (and since). My experience aside, contributors are often overlooked and almost always underappreciated.

The same applies within most businesses.

We like to talk about the employees who sell the most and amass the most five-star ratings in online reviews. Still, we also need to acknowledge the 15-year technician who performs reliable and consistent service, for example.

These “contributors” make some mistakes and might occasionally complain, but they are the backbone of a business. Unlike heroes, they are rarely featured on “Good Morning America,” let alone your weekly staff meetings.

I didn’t like being called a hero. A “Contributors Fundraising Gala” may need to be considered. I would certainly support it.