Hometown Heroes 2026

Date: Friday, May 15, 2026

Event Time: 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. PST
(Registration begins at 11:00 a.m.)

Location:
Queen Mary, Grand Salon
1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA

The American Red Cross serving Greater Long Beach and South Bay is proud to present the 21st Annual Hometown Heroes Awards Luncheon on May 15, 2026 aboard the Queen Mary.

Each year this annual event honors community members who have demonstrated heroism through extraordinary acts of courage and humanitarian service and embody the spirit and mission of the Red Cross through five lines of service: Disaster Relief, Blood Services, Service to the Armed Forces, Training Services and International Service.

Our one-of-a-kind Heroes award ceremonies are some of the best known and most beloved Red Cross events in the country. There is not a dry eye in the house as we celebrate incredible stories of strength, compassion and heroism. These narratives often remain untold until they are presented at our events, giving you the unique chance to discover never-before-heard stories and meet local heroes. This event is sponsored by many of the region's leading philanthropic and corporate entities, raising critical funds to support the vital mission of the Red Cross.

How Your Sponsorship Will Help Our Community

Sponsors of the Hometown Heroes Awards Luncheon will help ensure that we are able to respond to hundreds of home fires each year, provide help during wildfires and other local disasters, support our military service members and their families, provide safety and preparedness training for our community, collect lifesaving blood and so much more.

Through our Hero Care Center, Red Cross emergency communications services keep military personnel in touch with their families following the death or series illness of an immediate family member, the birth of a service member's child or grandchild or when a family faces other emergencies. A $25,000 sponsorship covers the cost of providing these emergency communications and other critical communication services to almost 1,000 military families.

$10,000 covers the cost of opening a shelter for 1 night. This service includes providing breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, the costs to mobilize and distribute a cot, two blankets and a comfort kit for 150 people, along with the costs of Red Cross workers who provide critical support.

Every day, the Red Cross holds more than 500 blood drives nationwide. Your $5,000 sponsorship covers the cost of one blood drive and every penny helps save lives.

We respond to an average of more than 60,000 disasters every year and $15,000 provides financial assistance to over 22 families impacted by a local disaster, like a home fire.