Red Cross honors volunteer

Larry Broome accepts an award honoring him as the American Red Cross Piedmont Chapter's Health & Safety Instructor of the Year. Pictured with Broome is Jodie Morrison, chapter director of Health & Safety Services (left), and Shellie Wylie, manager of the Cherokee County ARC. Helping to save the lives of local residents one class at a time, longtime American Red Cross volunteer instructor Larry "Ray" Broome was recently honored with the Piedmont Chapter's Health & Safety Instructor of the Year award.

The local man has spent much of the past four decades teaching the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, more commonly known as CPR, and standard first aid.

Broome began as a volunteer with the American Heart Association during time off from his full-time job at a Cherokee County fire station.

"I was working for a fire station here in Cherokee County when I heard someone was needed to help teach CPR classes," Broome said. "I had already taken such courses as part of my training to be a firefighter so I went ahead and volunteered."

Teaching his first class in 1973, the 68-year-old Blacksburg native has not looked back, teaching both adults and young children techniques needed when another person's life hangs in the balance. "I just stuck with it," Broome said. "This is something that I like and am proud to do."

Broome has taken the classes to elementary and middle schools while also helping adults during American Red Cross-sponsored programs. He said the lessons learned by his pupils came in handy.

"You get a good feeling after finishing one of these classes, especially when one of your students applies what they have learned to save another person's life," Broome said. "That's the joy of doing this... it really feels good."

According to American Red Cross of Cherokee County manager and Broome's supervisor Shellie Wylie, there is no one more deserving of an award than Broome.

"Ray has certainly earned this award," Wylie said. "He has worked as a CPR instructor for many years in Cherokee County, never being paid once for these vital services in which he is much loved by his students."

Broome said he does not know how long he will continue to volunteer his time with the local Red Cross, though the local man does not believe it is time to "hang 'em up" just yet.

"The Red Cross has a bunch of good volunteers who help out, but I'm still going to do as much as possible," Broome said. "I'm told that I can still move around like a young man so if they need a class to be taught I will be there."