2024 Chairman's Humanitarian Award

Many years ago, Olympic Steel awarded the first Humanitarian Award to an employee who saved a person’s life. This year, while on vacation, Steve Brown, Integrity Stainless Operations Manager, acted quickly and saved the lives of two children playing in the ocean. He joins a select group of heroic employees who are Chairman’s Humanitarian Award recipients.

Not all heroes wear capes. Some of them are dressed in regular clothes and spontaneously jump into the water to save a life. Heroic, life-saving actions are what Olympic Steel’s Chairman’s Humanitarian Award is all about.

Twenty-two years ago, in 2002, the first Chairman’s Humanitarian Award was presented to Thomas Smith at our Bettendorf, IA division. Since then, nine others (including Steve Brown) have received the award. They were recognized for outstanding contributions to the community or special initiative, resourcefulness and courage in an emergency situation on or off the job.

           2002 – Thomas Smith, Olympic Steel, Bettendorf, IA

           2004 – Frank Heston, Olympic Steel, Bettendorf, IA

           2005 – Cindy Jones, Olympic Steel, Winder, GA

           2005 – Dwight Crumpton, Olympic Steel, Minneapolis, MN

           2006 – Kay LaCroix, Olympic Steel, Bettendorf, IA

           2008 – Tami Curran, Olympic Steel, Schaumburg, IL

           2009 – Luther Newbill, Olympic Steel, Cleveland, OH

           2010 – Eva Miranda, Olympic Steel, Schaumburg, IL

           2011 – Jerry Stech, Olympic Steel, Minneapolis, MN

           2024 – Steve Brown, Integrity Stainless, Streetsboro, OH

This year, we are honored to add Steve Brown, Operations Manager, to the list of Chairman’s Humanitarian Award recipients. Here’s his story:

In June, Steve was vacationing with his wife at Topsail Beach in North Carolina. The two of them were sitting on the beach, enjoying the scenery and sounds of others playing in the ocean, when Steve noticed a young boy who started to get separated from the rest of his group. The undercurrent was quickly taking him further away from the other kids. Sensing something was wrong, Steve jumped up from his seat, tossed his phone and glasses to his wife, and ran into the water.

While he approached the water, he saw the boy go under twice and noticed another child on a boogie board trying to paddle out to the one in trouble. The second child fell off his boogie board and didn’t make it to the boy who, at this point, went under the water for a third time and did not come back up.

Steve reached the boy just in time and was able to pull him out of the water. While he was holding him, the boy showed signs of consciousness and coughed up water. Returning to the shore with the younger boy under his arm, he put the other boy who fell off his boogie board back on the board and brought them both to safety.

The two boys, 7- and 9-year-old brothers, were greeted by their grandmother on the shore and both made a full recovery.

Steve’s split-second decision to run into the ocean to help a young boy changed that family’s life. He is a hero and we are proud to have him on our team.

Steve was recognized at a reception in his honor on Friday, July 19 at the Integrity Stainless facility in Streetsboro, OH. He received a desktop award and selected Journey Christian Church for a $500 donation made in his name.

Here are a few photos from the event.