2005 - Ben Domingue, UBS
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Ben Domingue, an account vice president and financial adviser with UBS answered Red Cross’s call for volunteers with boats to go into New Orleans and rescue flooded residents stranded on the rooftops and porches of their storm ravaged homes. Using a boat that he borrowed from a friend, Domingue joined a rescue convoy from Acadiana, LA. Despite the dangers of toxic water, and armed gunmen looting the streets, Domingue’s team rescued over 100 people, including an entire nursing home. After seeing so much destruction and devastation, Domingue made the decision to return to the city for a second day of rescue operations with his friend’s boat.
2005 – David Pagilarulo, Ameriprise Financial Services
Putting his safety on the line as Hurricane Katrina was making landfall on August 29, David Pagilarulo, a Financial adviser with Ameriprise Financial Services, organized a hurricane relief and distribution center at a church in the New Orleans suburb of Mandeville. In one of his typical 12-hour days, which he carried on for weeks, Pagilarulo unloaded supply trucks, organized the distribution center, drove supply trucks to areas that were in need, and coordinated volunteer personnel. The distribution center erected by Pagilarulo provided food, water, medical supplies, medical care, clothing, personal care items, infant care supplies, labor for clean-up, and tools. The center was quickly recognized by the Red Cross as a vital relief center in the area. On average, there were between 30 to 40 volunteers per day working at the center.
2005 – Marc Walsh, Merrill Lynch
After Hurricane Katrina moved through the Gulf Coast and the devastation became apparent, Marc Walsh, a financial adviser with Merrill Lynch sought out ways to help those displaced by the storm. A longtime pilot, Walsh turned to his flying skills as a means of helping storm victims. As part of the Angel Flight America program, Walsh flew relief supplies to states ravaged by Katrina. Using a Beechcraft Bonanza, a four-seat airplane, out of Houston Hobby Airport, Walsh flew a total of 11.5 hours of relief flights to help storm victims.
