Postmaster General Louis DeJoy attended the event and thanked the honorees for casting the Postal Service in such a positive light.
“You epitomize the ideal of a public service, and your actions reflect the very best expectations of the Postal Service,” DeJoy said. “I am pleased and honored to be here to give you the well deserved recognition for those who have gone above and beyond normal call of duty.”
The cause for the backlog of awardees was felt by the absence of Jody Kotowski, a 2021 winner from Buffalo. Her colleague, Kevin Bystrak, saw a man who was struggling outside during a significant heat wave. He helped the man get water and spent his lunch break ensuring he was feeling better. He instructed the man to go inside and cool off in his air conditioning, but the man responded his home did not have any. Bystrak posted on his local letter carriers Facebook group about the situation to see if anyone could help.