Mr. Latavisa Bell - A Brave Young "Firefighter"

Early one Saturday morning in December Golden Year 4 (2007), 17-year-old Latavisa Bell heard someone screaming for help, jumped up and rushed to his neighbor's smoke-filled home. The door was locked with a burglar bar so Latavisa tried several times to unlock it with a shovel and finally used a hammer to pry it open. Trapped inside the burning home were a mother and her two daughters, who were able to escape due to the youngster's actions. After Latavisa's heroic rescue, firefighters arrived and assisted the mother and girls to an ambulance to be treated in a hospital. "If I didn't get them out, I was going to have to watch them die. I only had my hands and a hammer. The rest was God," said Latavisa, then of Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

Touched by the young man's courage and noble compassion, Master honored him with the Shining World Hero Award. Through the help of WJXT Channel 4 in Jacksonville, Florida initiates located Latavisa and informed him of the wonderful news. The Award ceremony was held on April 13, 2008 in Jacksonville's Clenzel T. Brown Community Center in front of the Bell family and local residents. In an atmosphere of earnestness and respect, Latatvisa received his beautiful crystal Award plaque along with a Hero T-Shirt and various other gifts that included
Master's publications.

During an interview Latavisa said he was not afraid of risking his life to rescue his neighbors and would do it again if needed. He spoke with eloquence on various subjects including global warming, in which he has great interest. In expressing what his future career would be, without hesitation Latatvisa said he would like to become a firefighter.

A crew from WJXT Television also came to cover the event, which was aired later that same day. The exciting news of Latavisa's Shining World Hero Award not only inspired but also reassured local community members and the world that noble and compassionate deeds will always be highly appreciated and remembered in the hearts of many.