Over 300 People Attend Red Cross Spirit Awards:

Well over 300 people attended the 10th Annual Santa Monica Red Cross Spirit Awards Saturday, February 11, at the Fairmont-Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.This year’s Spirit Awards also marked the 125th Anniversary of the American Red Cross and kicked off the local Red Cross chapter’s three year, $1 million Community Disaster Response Campaign. Kitty Dukakis was given the Spirit of Service in recognition of her international humanitarian work and efforts with youth and youth empowerment.Santa Monica companies Lions Gate Entertainment and Activision, Inc. received the Spirit of Philanthropy Awards for their support of the chapter and its hurricane disaster relief efforts. A posthumous Spirit of Volunteerism Award honored Santa Monica Red Cross volunteer, Santa Monica Police officer and USMC Reservist, Major Ricardo Antonio “Rick” Crocker who was killed in action in Al-Anbar province of Iraq last May. Santa Monica Police Chief, James T. Butts, Jr. escorted Crocker’s mother, Jeanette Garcia, to the podium to receive the Award, which was presented by Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tem Bobby Shriver. Approximately 20 members of Crocker’s Marine unit from Camp Pendleton served as an honor guard at the award ceremony, and a large contingent of Santa Monica Police officers attended the event and paid tribute to Crocker. Henceforth, the Spirit of Volunteerism Award will be known as the Rick Crocker Spirit of Volunteerism Award. All proceeds from the 2006 Spirit Awards benefit the American Red Cross of Santa Monica, a publicly supported, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.