For Michael Bosco Jr., George Verbanic and George Lantzy, it was a split-second reaction. For David Sanderson, it was seven minutes in the icy January waters of the Hudson River. And for David Hunter, it was decades of service.

This Tuesday, a commitment to the lives of others -- whether in a decisive moment or through years of work -- will bring these five men together.

Mr. Bosco, Mr. Lantzy, Mr. Verbanic and Mr. Hunter will be honored as "everyday heroes" at the first Red Cross Heroes Breakfast, which will be held at 7:30 a.m. Downtown at the Rivers Club to benefit the Southwestern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross.

Mr. Sanderson will be the keynote speaker. A passenger on the US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson River in January, he risked his life to help others to safety.

Likewise, the first three men being honored at the breakfast acted quickly in an emergency to save a life: Mr. Bosco and Mr. Verbanic by performing CPR at crucial moments, and Mr. Lantzy by steering his truck to stop an elderly woman's car from drifting into traffic after she had a heart attack at the wheel; since then, she has recovered fully.

Mr. Hunter is being honored for "Lifetime Commitment to the American Red Cross." He has twice served as the chairman of the Southwestern Pennsylvania chapter -- including during 1972's Hurricane Agnes -- and has long been one of the organization's most dedicated donors.

"These other people are heroes," he said. "All I've done is sort of survive."

He remembered his two terms as chairman fondly. "The Red Cross had this constant lift of wonderful volunteers," he said. "You need somebody at disasters. You need somebody during hurricanes."

For Mr. Bosco, that disaster was on a smaller scale, but it was no less urgent. When a student collapsed in the physical education class he was teaching at Pittsburgh Brashear High School in June, Mr. Bosco's practiced knowledge of CPR saved his life.

The student's pulse had stopped, and he wasn't breathing, Mr. Bosco said.

"I was able to get to him very fast," he said, "and that's key in that situation."

A certified Red Cross CPR instructor, Mr. Bosco said his reaction was nearly second nature.

"I guess I did something very special," he said. "I was in the right place at the right time."

All four men being honored are local. Mr. Bosco is from Kennedy, Mr. Verbanic is from Cranberry, Mr. Lantzy is from Turtle Creek and Mr. Hunter is from Hampton.

Mr. Sanderson is from Charlotte, N.C. Since January, he has traveled across the country speaking at Red Cross events.

The last passenger to leave the plane, he endured severe hypothermia because he could hear his mother's voice urging him to 'do the right thing,' " he said.

He said he is deeply grateful for the Red Cross's help that day in the river, and afterward.

Someone from the Red Cross brought him a pair of sweats in the middle of the night because he had lost all his clothing. And when he got home to Charlotte, he said, "The Red Cross was waiting for me."

Tickets to the breakfast are $50 per person. Proceeds will benefit the local Red Cross.

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