‘You Are One of the Many Heroes Here’

Santa Barbara County air assist pilot Loren Courtney was honored by the royal on the annual fundraising occasion

spent his Friday evening in Carpinteria, Calif., serving to elevate funds for Santa Barbara County First Responders.

The prince took the stage on the star-filled , hosted by . The live performance helps elevate funds for the native hearth, police, and sheriff departments, with proceeds going in direction of tools and psychological well being assets.

The Duke of Sussex took the stage in entrance of a whole lot of concertgoers with the evening’s honoree,Santa Barbara County air assist pilot Loren Courtney.

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“As you’ve in all probability heard already, 22 years [of] army service over 10,000 hours and barely sees his household as a result of he’s all the time right here flying helicopters,” Prince Harry stated of Courtney.

After he quipped that Courtney was 65 years previous however regarded 40, he requested him, “Why do you continue to do what you do?”

“I do that as a result of I like doing it and I like doing it for the county of Santa Barbara. It’s a rewarding expertise every time we exit, both placing out fires or rescuing anyone within the again nation or medical evacuations from automobile accidents or doing the legislation patrol, conserving residents secure,” Courtney replied.

When Prince Harry requested if there was “an expertise or a narrative that stands out” from his years of service, Courtney recalled an expertise when he was doing search and rescue in Colorado and helped rescue a bunch of skiers who had gone off a 30-foot embankment.

One in every of them, he stated, suffered a extreme head harm and took 5 makes an attempt to get out.

“I discovered within the army, you by no means go away anyone behind. We acquired him out. He spent virtually a yr in intensive care after which rehab, and now he’s strolling, he acquired married. He really went to the highest of the Grand Tetons and, and proposed to his girlfriend after the accident,” the pilot added.

“You didn’t should rescue him once more, did you,” Prince Harry joked. “You might be one of many many heroes right here tonight. There are individuals right here tonight who’re alive due to you and who’re again to their households due to you… from all people right here, thanks a lot.”

One other honoree of the evening was musician , who carried out and obtained this yr’s “Coronary heart of the Neighborhood Award.”

“In recognition of his extraordinary and fixed philanthropic work in Santa Barbara County, One805 has chosen to honor Kenny Loggins as a recipient of this yr’s ‘Coronary heart of the Neighborhood Award.’ He’ll obtain the award on-stage on the live performance. Prior recipients have included Kevin Costner and founding board member Alan Parsons,” stated One805 govt board member in a earlier .

additionally included & Dallas Inexperienced as “You + Me,” , Alan Parsons, Al Stewart, Richard Marx, Alyssa Bonagura, Jordan Asher Huffman, Plastic Harpoons, and the Santa Barbara Symphony.

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Final September, Prince Harry was accompanied by as he attended the One805LIVE! Fall 2023 fundraiser occasion.

Prince Harry beforehand served as a helicopter pilot throughout his decade within the British Military, flying coaching missions within the U.S., U.Ok. and Australia, in addition to fight missions in Afghanistan.

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