The Coast Guard Foundation and its supporters gathered on May 13 for the inaugural Tribute to the U.S. Coast Guard in Houston.

The event honored two crews from Air Station Houston for their heroism and dedication in saving one life, assisting six others and preserving over $80,000 worth of property during a search and rescue operation in July 2015.

When accepting the award LCDR Jeremy Loeb thanked the Coast Guard members behind the scenes, emphasizing this mission was a success thanks to the whole team at Air Station Houston working together in unison.

“We train hard, we dedicate ourselves in case that call comes in, and on this particular night it did for our two crews. Thankfully we were able to reunite the families and they’re safely at home tonight,” said Petty Officer Loeb, who spoke on behalf of the crews CG-6520 and CG-6603.

“All of us up here on stage, we joined this wonderful organization for the opportunity to do what you saw us do in this video,” Loeb said.

Author, motivational speaker and former NFL football player Reggie Rivers served as the evening’s MC, with Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard and former Texas Governor Rick Perry the evening’s keynote speakers.

Gov. Perry emphasized how honored he was to attend the event recognizing Coast Guard heroics, while praising the Foundation and its supporters for their work to support the families of those in uniform.

“We got to be witness tonight to extraordinary young men and women,” said Gov. Perry, describing Air Station Houston’s rescue. “I hope you all understand what a privilege it is to be in this room with legitimate American heroes.”

Adm. Zukunft touched on the impact of the Foundation’s programs on the service, highlighting the Foundation’s scholarship program for providing the opportunity for many Coast Guard children to become the first in their family to attend college.

The Foundation’s Guardian Award was presented to ExxonMobil with Chairman and CEO Rex W. Tillerson accepting the award.

And on the strength of Coast Guard Foundation Chairman Will Jenkin’s generous lead gift of $50,000, a total of $132,000 was raised to support the Foundation’s scholarships program for Coast Guard children to pursue a higher education.