Everyday Heroes: Red Cross Breakfast of Champs at Convention Center

Tuesday, 09 March 2010 15:37 | Written by Byron

SUPER DUPER: The American Red Cross "Breakfast of Champions," which was held bright and early on Tuesday at the Oregon Convention Center, should really have a longer name like "Breakfast of Champions & Variety Show." Much of that has to do with the emcee for the event, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Oregon Trail Chapter of The American Red Cross, Thomas Bruner. Despite the fact that Bruner (above) has a big gig back east with the ARC, he flew in from his new post in Vermont just to do this...er..."show." That's the only word that you can use to describe this event that includes live dioramic displays of the good works the Red Cross does, including a demonstration of the proper CPR technique that had as much choreography as any Broadway show. And, well, then there was Thomas. "Is he always this peppy?" whispered Jonathan Nicholas former Oregonian columnist and current Vice President of Corporate Communications for ODS. "He has a lot of energy for this early in the morning." Which I replied to Nicholas, "yes...yes he does." After a breakfast of heart-clogging eats—bacon, eggs, and sausage—set up to look like the buffet line at a disaster site (it even came with a disclaimer that this was not the standard example of the Oregon Convention's catering company), Bruner gave out awards to several worthy "champs" including a Chihuahua named "Jack" and KOIN-TV weather cutie, Brian Miskimins, who saved a man outside a suburban gym in the middle of a snowstorm. The man, who was clearly on his way out when Miskimins found him and even described his death as being a "big, black nothing," was very happy that Miskimins "hobby" was CPR. It was that kind of morning. Who knew?