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Fox Nation honors America's everyday heroes, President-elect Trump at the sixth annual Patriot Awards

After a tumultuous and historic election season, Americans gather inside Long Island's premier concert hall to commemorate everyday heroes across the nation. 

PATRIOT OF THE YEAR - PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD J. TRUMP

While the incoming president prepares for his transition back to the White House, Trump was awarded the Fox Nation "Patriot of the Year Award" during Thursday's show.

"We're going to be very proud of our country again."

FOX WEATHER ULTIMATE PATRIOT AWARD - GENERAL DICK CODY

"I was just one of probably 100 helicopter pilots that showed up and answered the call to duty one more time for the devastation in North Carolina. A lot of civilian helicopters, a lot of active duty helicopter pilots and stuff... So I accept this award very humbly on behalf of all of them, because they did some great work out there," he said.

With historic flooding and widespread devastation nearly wiping out entire communities, volunteers rushed to the Tar Heel State to help with rescue and recovery efforts. 

Cody joined the list of volunteers, flying his helicopter to deliver emergency supplies to residents suffering in the western Appalachian region, including generators, fuel and blankets. 

T2T STEPHEN SILLER BACK THE BLUE AWARD - JONATHAN DILLER

Diller is survived by his 1-year-old son and wife, Stephanie, who accepted the "T2T Stephen Siller Back the Blue Award" on her husband's behalf. 

"Tonight is especially special because I'm receiving this award from Stephen Siller. And looking at Stephen, a man who also lost his father and is up here supporting us, it gives me hope that my son will be okay," Stephanie said after receiving the award.

Rivera was also struck by return fire and was reportedly hospitalized. Like Rivera, the driver of the vehicle, 41-year-old Lindy Jones, also had at least 20 prior arrests, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. 

"Although we suffered this tragedy, we will not live a tragic life, and we will live a life that supports the legacy and the spirit of who Jonathan was," Stephanie said.

YOUNG PATRIOT AWARD - CAMERON BLASEK  

"I want to say that I'm humbled and proud to get this award tonight," Blasek said. 

"I want to say to the brave men and women out there who serve our country, thank you. Your sacrifices are the true essence of patriotism. The sacrifices I made of willing to be suspended and possibly expelled from high school is nothing compared to them."

Blasek proudly displayed an American flag on his truck for most of his senior year, but he said school administrators told him it broke school rules and needed to be removed.

Blasek extended his thanks to a family in Oklahoma after accepting his award Thursday night. The family from Hollis, Okla. had a 13-year-old battling cancer who wanted to take a ride in Blasek's patriotic truck.

"He reached out and said that he wanted his final ride to be in my truck. So me and my father, we made that happen. We drove all the way down there and we did it. So I want to give a thank you to them for welcoming me into their lives."

SALUTE TO SERVICE AWARD - PAULA PEDENE & DR. SAM FOOTE 

Roughly a decade ago, then-Veterans Affairs employees Paula Pedene and Dr. Sam Foote blew the whistle on the agency for allegedly failing to serve the nation's service men and women back.

"I think the VA is still at a crossroads," Pedene said, accepting the award on behalf of her and Foote.

"Our veterans deserve the best."

"To all the whistleblowers out there, it's a good fight. It's a tough one, but it's a good one. We need truth. We need accountability. Thank you for what you do," she added.

AWARD FOR SERVICE TO VETERANS - PAWS OF WAR 

"I think that what people don't realize is when a military member is serving overseas, they're trained for a lot. They're not trained to find this little puppy or a kitten that they fall in love with. And then they have to come back and there's very little options for them to bring that animal back. And that's what we do," Paws of War co-founder Robert Misseri said during the Patriot Awards.

Misseri was joined on stage by Army National Guard Specialist Cameron Clay, who was surprised by a reunion with a dog he rescued while overseas.

"I don't even know how to feel," Clay said, embracing his four-legged friend. "So, so thankful to everyone involved. Paws of War and everyone on base who helped me through this whole process. It's just amazing. I don't even know what to think right now. It's just so great. Thank you, everyone."

CULTURE WARRIOR AWARD - KIRK CAMERON  

Actor Kirk Cameron faced an onslaught of pushback from libraries across the country over his children's book As You Grow, sparking a nationwide movement against woke entertainment for kids. 

"I have a heart full of gratitude just to be counted together with you this evening for this important night of honoring people all over this country, these unsung heroes who are doing such important work. I think we all know that in order to shape the future, we have to get to the hearts and minds of our children and to the grandchildren," Cameron said.

Since releasing his children's book, Cameron has continued releasing books and hosted a "See You at the Library" event in August, which drew 30,000 people at libraries across the nation. 

"I believe that God has given us a new day," Cameron said. "There is a spirit of hope and optimism that is in the air. We can see the future more clearly now. And I honestly believe that that heaven's clocks keep perfect time. And the last four years have been a perfect window into the future we could have taken. And as a nation, I believe we really dodged a bullet."

AWARD FOR BRAVERY - CLARENCE MCCALLISTER 

63-year-old Clarence McCallister was honored with the "Award for Bravery" for his heroic and selfless actions defending the Pennsylvania preacher. 

"In America here, we're all heroes. We're all heroes. We all have the heart to do whatever it takes that we need to do," McCallister said.

The deacon helped tackle the gunman, eventually removing the weapon from his possession, until police arrived. 

Germany surprised McCallister on stage, thanking the deacon for his selfless act.

"I thank God for protecting me and watching over me. I thank God for keeping this angel. Having him making sure that nothing happened to no one else inside our building," Germany said.

"The young man who attempted that, I forgave him. And it's all about us loving these young men, young women whose going through mental illness. They need our help."

AWARD FOR COURAGE - UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL PHI KAPPA PHI FRATERNITY BROTHERS 

Two of the fraternity brothers, Guillermo Estrada and Alex Jones, received the "Award for Courage" for the group's heroic act of patriotism.

"The outreach of support from not only the people that are here in this room, but across the nation has really been something that has been both inspiring and humbling," Jones said.

"We didn't hesitate when we saw our flag being torn back down because this flag represents the beacon of hope that called my parents to this great country 20 years ago," Estrada added. "The promise of liberty and prosperity that makes America a light to the world. That is what that flag represents. And to those – to those that still, for some reason questioned the meaning and importance of the flag. I invite you to sit down with families like mine from Goldsboro, North Carolina, family like Alex's, and to listen to truly what the red, white and blue truly means to us once again."

Fox Nation's sixth installment of the Patriot Awards was a night to bridge political gaps, unite behind a love of America and celebrate America's everyday heroes. For more patriotic content and to stay in-the-know for future awards, join Fox Nation today.

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Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz, Greg Wehner, Michael Ruiz, Danielle Wallace, Jasmine Baehr, Angelica Stabile, Courtney O'Brien, Kendall Tietz, Taylor Penley and Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.