Superheroes from All Walks of Life

By JOANIE MARTINEZ

The Canyon of Heroes may be in Lower Manhattan but the so-called Military Island in Times Square was the venue Tuesday for the induction of a mish-mash of heroes including sports legends, activists for disabilities, a celebrity chef, a top firefighter and a teacher.

With a soundtrack of cheesy easy listening songs from Chicago and Bryan Adams, the stage was set to invite the first class of the Superman Hall of Heroes. The inductees included the late Christopher Reeve who played the film role of Superman, outgoing Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano, and paralympic athlete Alana Nichols.

“Yes you can, like Superman,” said Rick Holt via a computer similar to the one Stephen Hawking uses to speak. He and his father received the honor for competing in over 1,100 athletic events including 252 triathlons and 70 marathons.

“I get more pleasure cooking and feeding people that really need it than people that are paying a lot of money at my restaurants,” said David Burke, celebrity chef and honoree. His heroism during Superstorm Sandy was recognized. During the natural disaster, air jordan 11 femmes Burke served food to first responders and anyone else who needed food in the days following the storm.

“It’s the small things in life that build up to being a hero,” said 2013 National Teacher of the Year Jeffrey Charbonneau said. The high school science teacher shared his award with the 3.2 million teachers across the country who give students the “energy to fly” everyday.

Alana Nichols, a brunette beauty and three-time gold medalist in the Paralympics. “I’ve have such an enjoyable ride as a woman with a disability,” she said via her wheelchair in nude pumps, the sun giving her a glow as she gave props to her grandmother who raised her. Nicols was an “avid snowboarder” and became paralyzed from the waist down in 2002 when she attempted to do a backflip and hit a rock.

Matthew Reeve,spitting image of his father Christopher,accepted the award on behalf of the late actor who was an activist for spinal cord injury and research for diseases of the brain and nervous system.

Among the other inductees were sports legends Shaquille O’Neal and the late Jackie Robinson. O’Neal accepted his award via video message and the CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation Della Britton Baeza, accepted the award.

Former Army soldier and Medal of Honor Recipient Salvatore Giunta personified bravery in combat when putting in himself in the enemy’s line of fire during combat in October 2007 to save a fellow soldier. He is the first living recipient to get the medal for both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Cassano took home a Superman award for his five citations of bravery while in the Fire Department. He also honored the heroes of 9/11, the first responders.