The Fresno and Madera Counties Police Chiefs Association honored 37 citizens at its 23rd annual Citizens Award ceremony Wednesday at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District hall.

Award recipients were honored for acts of heroism or citizenship that saved a life or benefited the community.

Darryl McDonald, for example, was honored for tipping Fresno police in August 2010 to a suspicious man who was watching junior high girls cross a street. The man, Mario Arciga, was later arrested for raping a woman and attempting to kidnap a 12-year-old girl as she walked to Terronez Middle School.

McDonald provided key testimony in the trial that led to Arciga's conviction on rape and kidnap charges. Arciga was sentenced in February to 25 years to life in prison.

The citizens who were honored, and the agencies that nominated them, were:

-- California Highway Patrol: Filiberto Jimenez-De La Cruz, James Murrietta.

-- Clovis Police Department: Joan McGrady.

-- Fresno County District Attorney's Office: Darryl McDonald, Cody Weibers, Richard Cazares.

-- Fresno County Sheriff's Office: Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Larry L. Powell, Central Unified School District Superintendent Michael Berg, Fresno County Librarian Laurel Prysiazny, Jim Yovino, Brigeen Radoicich, Kari Johnson, Karen Coletti, Linda Aragon, Nancy McEwen, Megan Bennett, Jeremy Dobbins, Robert Warner, Tim O'Brien, Ray Appleton.

-- Fresno Police Department: Chuck Hoover, Leon Saghatelian, Howard Ladwig, Shane Dalton, Bob Ditto, Robert Paul, Corie Leslie, Keith Thompson.

-- Kerman Police Department: Mary Ramirez.

-- Madera County Law Enforcement Leaders: Nathaniel C. Chase.

-- Orange Cove Police Department: Richard Hicks, Wally Hill, Sylvia Shultz, Manuel Ferreira.

-- Reedley Police Department: George Nord, Kristi Lozano, Don Beckenhauer.