MOUNT VERNON — Abby Hamman, 11, a sixth-grader at Mount Vernon Middle School, was home Saturday morning, Oct. 6, with her 6-year-old brother, Jonathan, and her 10-year-old friend while her parents took her brother, Hunter, 7, to soccer. Fire broke out in the home and thanks to Abby’s quick thinking and bravery, she and the younger children evacuated the home without incident.
Thursday, Mount Vernon Fire Department Chief Chris Menapace awarded Hamman the department’s Citizen’s Cross in a surprise ceremony during an assembly at the school. Her parents, Daniel and Carolyn Hamman; brothers, Hunter and Jonathan; and grandfather, David Hamman, were with her for the presentation.
The sixth-grade assembly was held to recognize students who achieved a 4.0 GPA (all A’s) during the first grading period. As principal Gary Hankins noted, those accomplishments were impressive given the students’ transition from elementary to middle school and all its adjustments.
Following the students’ awards, Menapace, accompanied by firefighters Lee Swank and Tim Rose, all in dress blues, stepped to the podium and described Hamman’s heroic action.
For the rest of the story
The rest of this article is available to Mount Vernon News subscribers. To continue reading, please log in or purchase a subscription. Click here for the November 2, 2012 e-edition. The article will only be available for thirty (30) days.
Contact Rhonda Bletner
EmailCopyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.



