MANCHESTER -- While 9-year-old Diana's hero is a doctor ”because they help you if you think something's wrong with you,” Alexis, also 9, said: “The lunch lady because she gets up at 4 a.m. to serve us a nutritious breakfast.”

They were two of the youngsters who walked to the microphone Monday afternoon at the Beech Street School to tell their peers and city and school officials about their heroes.

The program, “Celebrating the Heroes in Our Lives,” brought together youngsters in kindergarten through grade 5 at Beech Street and Wilson schools who participate in the Greater Manchester YMCA's Youth Opportunities Unlimited START program.

The structured afterschool program, from about 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. every day, includes tutoring, large group physical activity, small group activity, 10 minutes of meditation, a healthy snack and a large group discussion.

Leslee Stewart, vice president of development at the YMCA, said each month has a theme. “This month it is how does our government operate,” said Stewart.

That may have been why among the children's heroes were firefighters, trash collectors, parks and recreation employees, crossing guards and police, and the person who makes our community a better place to live (Mayor Gatsas).

But their heroes also included “mom and dad,” “someone who has a talent and shares it with other people,” and a tutor “who works one-on-one with me so I can learn better.”

START Director Sharon DePietro said her personal hero is a youngster who has learned to tell the truth and take the consequences.

Stewart said Lights on Afterschool highlights the importance of both education and family.

Many of the children participate from kindergarten through fifth grade and there are waiting lists for the popular program.

The youngsters offer different reasons for liking it. Yahaira, 7, said she has been in the program “for a long time.” She said she likes that the teachers teach and show respect, but even better is: “Basketball, and we do projects.”

The START staff is made up of Y staff, some City Year participants, students from Southern New Hampshire University and volunteers.

DePietro and other speakers, including Lou D'Allesandro and Mayor Ted Gatsas, stressed that there are many heroes among us and everyone can be a hero.

D'Allesandro said he has a four-year-old grandson who was born with only one ear and needs a hearing aid for it. But his grandson, he told the students, told his mother he wasn't going to wear the hearing aid because: “Superheroes don't wear hearing aids.”

D'Allesandro said the boy's mother wrote to the head of Marvel Comics, telling him: “I told my son superheroes do wear hearing aids.” And the head of Marvel wrote back saying Hawkeye was rescuing someone and his hearing was damaged, so he wears hearing aids.

But even better, he wrote: “We're going to create a character. . .The Blue Ear, ” a custom comic. D'Allesandro has two heroes, his daughter, for reaching out, and his grandson, who now wears his hearing aid.

“One person can make a difference in people's lives,” he said. And he promised that when the picture of the Blue Ear arrives, he will bring it to Beech Street School so the kids can see it.

YMCA President Hal Jordan, known to the youngsters as “Mr. Hal The Big Cheese” reminded the children that you don't have to be a superhero, that if you are caring, honest, respectful and responsible, love your parents and your siblings, and, of course, do your homework, you can be your own hero.

One of three youngsters were selected to read brief stories they had written about their personal heroes clearly got the message.

She said her great-grandmother was her hero because she always has a smile on her face and doesn't show her pain. Although her great-grandmother has Alzheimer's, and they only see one another once or twice a year, said the writer: “She always figures out who I am . . .We connect.”

dvincent@unionleader.com