Detective, club supervisor, and daughter of Lilly Pulitzer recognized for acts of heroism
Palm Beach Police Detective Giselle Bido, The Beach Club pool deck supervisor Robert Young, and longtime Palm Beach resident Minnie Pulitzer received Raymond J. Kunkel Awards on April 7 during the association's annual meeting at the Flagler Museum.
Established in 1976 by the Civic Association in recognition of its former chairman, the Raymond J. Kunkel Awards honor individuals or organizations who have rendered heroic or meritorious service to the Palm Beach community. Recipients are selected by the Civic Association's six-member Raymond J. Kunkel Awards Committee.
Kunkel Committee Chairman William Matthews and member Michael Reiter announced this year's winners to an audience of more than 250 people.
"From 1978 through 2024, the Civic Association honored 130 individuals and organizations with this award," Reiter said before introducing Bido, Young and Pulitzer. "This morning, we're pleased to add three new award recipients to that."
Bido, a 12-year veteran of the town's police department, was honored for her investigation into a sexual battery that led to the offender's arrest. She also reached out to former victims and encouraged them to share their stories, which helped impact the judge's ruling, according to Palm Beach Police.
"Detective Bido had no obligation to reach out to these former victims, all of whom were outside her jurisdiction," Palm Beach Police Chief Nicholas Caristo wrote to the Kunkel Committee. "Her desire to listen to their stories and pass on their accounts in this case ensured the judge knew the character of the man she had arrested."
The 2025 Kunkel Award is the second for Bido, who also was recognized in 2020 for helping to save a suicidal subject.
Young, who has held various positions at The Beach Club during his 39 years there, was honored for saving the life of a choking victim.
On Nov. 20, Young noticed a lifeguard delivering back blows to a club member who was choking.
Young advised the lifeguard to call for help while he administered the Heimlich maneuver. His actions helped dislodge the food, according to Beach Club General Manager Robert Morris, who nominated Young for the Kunkel Award.
"Paramedics arrived and thanked Robert for his life-saving actions," Morris wrote.
Pulitzer, who along with her sister, Liza, helped create The Barefoot in Paradise capsule collection for Lilly Pulitzer, was honored for her heroism after rushing into the Atlantic Ocean and pulling a drowning surfer to safety.
According to Caristo, Pulitzer and her sister were walking on the beach Jan. 23 when they noticed the surfer yelling for help.
Two surfers were in the ocean, and one had lost their surfboard, which had washed ashore. That surfer was calling for aid while struggling to stay afloat.
Pulitzer grabbed the surfboard and entered the ocean to aid the surfer, Caristo said. Large waves ripped the surfboard from Pulitzer's grip, but she was able to push through and reach the surfer. She then managed to swim both surfers back to shore even as they were pushed repeatedly underwater.
As they moved closer to shore, Liza Pulitzer entered the ocean and helped them on to the beach, Caristo said. Palm Beach Fire-Rescue transported the surfer to the hospital; the surfer was released later that day.
"There is no question that the selfless actions of Minnie Pulitzer saved the life of a drowning surfer that day," Caristo wrote.
For information on the Palm Beach Civic Association, visit https://palmbeachcivic.org/.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Heroism awards go to detective, club worker and Lilly Pulitzer's daughter
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