1 Laura Weinman LauraWeinman@gmail.com 1 2010-01-25T12:29:06-07:00 Lindy 2895 M 678 My mother in law has been a true blessing, not only to me, but to immeasurable others. Lindy's entire life has been dedicated to helping others. She helps her family, and she helps complete strangers who become family. Just since I've known her, she has helped send a young man in Haiti to college; she helped a Hispanic mother who was brought to the United States as a child herself secure her citizenship, and encouraged a young mother to look for better employment, and therefore a better life. She has also dedicated herself to making life better for her sisters and their children. She supported the launch of her sister’s business – financially, emotionally, and intellectually. She has bought Christmas presents for her nephew every year because otherwise he would have none. She watches my son unselfishly every day because we can't afford day care, and now has guardianship of her teenage granddaughter. She isn’t someone of great financial means, and she has been through enough drama and pain to have given up. But she doesn’t. I am so grateful for her help, and even more so for her example. 2010-01-25T16:32:14-07:00 1 Cindy Urso ursoci@sasd.k12.pa.us 1 2010-01-25T08:49:05-07:00 Ashley 2894 U 678 The day Ashley was born 19 years ago, doctors told us she wouldn't be able to do much. Well, I am so pleased to say how wrong the doctors were! My beautiful daughter, Ashley, was born with Down Syndrome and can do anything and everything! This past year I have been diagnosed with a very debilitating disease, and Ashley has turned into my nurse. She has absolutely done everything to make my life easier when really it should be me making her life easier. What a blessing she has always been in my life!!! 2010-01-25T16:30:42-07:00 1 Peter A. Robyn pete.robyn@historystrips.com 2010-01-23T16:16:35-07:00 Elise M. 2893 R 678 My Mom has supported me unconditionally in my endeavor to start a business that produces time lines of American history. She has edited my business plan and letters, listened to my ideas, let me use her car, lent me money to the point of being in danger of losing her home. This is devotion and support beyond what could possibly be reasonably expected. Please visit History Strips to see and buy a History Strip. Display it at home. Learn American history... and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. 2010-01-25T16:29:12-07:00 1 Maborukoje wale Mabo_vivo@yahoo.com 1 2010-01-23T15:48:47-07:00 Mr. Ajibola Maborukoje 2892 M 678 Born 1950, the late Mr. Ajibola Mabo, zealous and determined, always believed you will achieve whatever you set your mind on. Even in a poor competitive African economy, he became an industrialist with little formal education. He worked so hard to see his children get the best of education and his family secure even at the expense of his life. From grass to grace he rose. A father like no other. 2010-01-25T16:28:04-07:00 1 Lisa klage1la@cmich.edu 1 2010-01-23T12:33:43-07:00 Cathy 2891 K 678 My hero is my mother. I know everyday I wake up that each day above ground is a good day. My mother has had Hodgkin's Disease & just recently overcame Breast Cancer. My mother works a full time job, even through radiation treatments, is always there when people need her & never lets the world bring her down. She is a "buddy" of a student in Pontiac, MI because this student needed guidance in her life and my mother felt she had so much extra time that she should be changing someone's life for the better. She has helped put both my sister and I through college, has supported and encouraged us every day and always reminds us to never give up. She is my hero because she has overcome so many things that I know there would never be a reason to give up. She has come so far and shown me to stay strong and persevere through the good, the bad & the ugly times. 2010-01-25T16:25:56-07:00 1 Marla marlabennington@yahoo.com 1 2010-01-22T08:21:25-07:00 Chloe 2890 B 678 My daughter, Chloe, is a beautiful little 6 year old with Down Syndrome. I am amazed EVERYDAY when I look at her. She has defied all stereotypes and diagnoses that we have ever assumed with her Syndrome. Her hard work, determination, commitment, ambition, and so many other adjectives that I could use to describe her, have helped me help her become the beautiful human being she is today. On a daily basis she makes new strides. She continually and pleasantly surprises her teachers! She is fully integrated into a state-of-the-art, all inclusive, elementary school program. I thank God everyday for thinking I am worthy of raising such a gift. 2010-01-22T08:21:25-07:00 1 John Walborn johnwalborn@cs.com 1 2010-01-21T10:56:05-07:00 Beautiful Teamwork 2889 677 A number of years ago when my daughter Ellen was running high school cross-country, occasionally I assisted Coach Moore, the cross-country coach, with cross-country meets. Up until recently, the school year for students in South Carolina started in early August. If you have ever been in South Carolina in the summer you know that there is nothing more miserable than the heat of an August afternoon. The temperature is typically in the mid 90’s, with very high humidity and absolutely no wind. About 3:30 each afternoon, the boys and girls of the high school track team dress out and begin training in the stifling heat for their five kilometer cross-country meets. One of the things that always surprised me was the number of overweight students that turn out to train for cross-country. For most of these students the heat, stress, and the temperature take their toll causing them to drop out early in the season. At the same time, the August heat does not really faze the more seasoned athletes who train all year. As you would expect as the season progresses, the runners’ times improve and temperatures get much milder as fall approaches. The event that I want to share happened at a cross-country meet held at Irmo High School in late autumn. There was a chill in the air and it was unseasonably cool for South Carolina in the fall. Before the race, others and I assisted the coach in setting up the lane. If you are not familiar with cross-country races, the lane is a flagged off area that funnels the incoming runners to the finish line where they are timed. The meet was held behind the school in a large field lighted with bright stadium lighting. This was the area where the lane was set up and the runners completed their run. As I recall, even though the meet was exciting, the evening was uneventful. The meet ended in the typical way. The seasoned runners from both schools finished way ahead of the pack. The slower runners straggled in. Once across the finish line, the runners struggled to catch their breath, grabbed a cup of Gatorade and put on their “warm-ups” to keep from getting a chill. Runners who had completed their run milled around, met the kids from the other school and swapped stories, friendly jabs, and compliments. At some point that evening, the coaches figured that all of their team members had returned. The time keepers downloaded results to their computers, and those who helped set up the lane began to tear it down and pack it up. The meet was over. At the edge of the field, just visible by the stadium lighting and several hundred yards away, one more runner appeared. The runner was a girl who was probably a freshman or sophomore. She was from the Irmo High School cross country team. She was clearly struggling to find the energy to finish up running strong. It was quite clear that she was one of the overweight kids that had, against all obstacles, trained with the cross-country team all season. Even though she was finishing dead last, it didn’t seem to dampen her spirit. She was working hard to make her way toward the lane that was gone and finish line that had been removed. You could see the amazement of the Irmo team as they made each other aware of the last runner coming in. One of the girls on the Irmo team yelled, “Form a lane!” Other team members echoed this command as the Irmo team quickly rose to their feet. About forty students scampered to assemble themselves into parallel lines forming a lane. Once in place they all shouted words of encouragement to the final runner. As this girl entered the lane, the team members from each side of the line joined hands to create an archway for her to run through as the encouragement continued. What could have been an embarrassing and humiliating finish for this girl was turned into a welcoming and rewarding conclusion from her team members. My words cannot explain the impact of the scene that night. I will always remember how great this group of all-American kids looked on that cool fall night as they proudly stood under the bright stadium lights in their black and gold warm-ups cheering their teammate on. They showed everyone present what compassion and sportsmanship is all about. Responsibility for the values displayed that night rest with parents of the team members and with Coach Moore who has been an inspiration to the kids his entire career. The coach’s leadership clearly shone through in the actions of his team that night. 2010-01-21T10:56:05-07:00 1 Kathryn Woodrow kathrynwoo@yahoo.com 2010-01-20T08:16:15-07:00 You-The Foundation for a better life 2888 677 When I first began seeing your ad's I wondered who this group was and if it was our tax money being diverted to someone as payback for a political favor. My husband and I decided to look up "The Foundation for a Better Life" and much to my amazement it was someone who just wanted to promote better values to improve society. WOW! Someone doing something on their own dime to make a better America by teaching our children better values. Thank You! It had an even greater impact on me because the ad that followed was how each of your friends are worth $100 if you can just convince them to subscribe to satellite TV. You are doing something very important. I am so pleased that your message is in the mix of some of the less selfless messages out there. We are enjoying the messages. Thank you for teaching us all to be better people and to enjoy the simple things in life. 2010-01-25T16:23:59-07:00 1 Meredith Lincoln Missmer1@aol.com 1 2010-01-15T20:27:55-07:00 My Students 2882 676 Each day, I have the privileged of witnessing heroic efforts. I am a special educator for preschoolers on the autism spectrum. I start each day knowing that I will learn more than I teach. That I will get more than I give. That I will have more questions than answers. The learners in my class need to fight a battle against their sensory systems just to get dressed for school. Play is work. Hard work. They do not always receive information incidentally from their environment. They need to have seemingly simple tasks broken down and taught in steps. Tasks I take for granted having learned myself, or having taught to my own 2 children. The bus ride can feel like a roller-coaster. Certain noises I ignore are like nails on a chalkboard to them. All of this is BEFORE their school-day starts. These amazing efforts do not even account for the perception of society on them. My students' parents welcomed into the world a seemingly healthy child. They made plans, assumptions, and predictions. Plans change. These families now have to face a school system to get needed services for their child. They need doctors, therapists, and specialists they never imagined being a part of their lives. At the end of the school-day, I put my exhausted students on the bus for home. They have played, learned, eaten, toileted, had therapies, and have held it all together. NOT EASY. In comparison, my day is a breeze. I get to watch these little heroes make progress. They finally look me in the eye and I cry. They pee on the toilet and I want to do a cartwheel in the bathroom. Seem silly? If only we could all walk in a young child with autism's shoes for an hour. That is ALL it would take to make us all consider their efforts and achievements heroic. 2010-01-18T13:42:20-07:00 1 Karen karen.kunde@yahoo.com 2010-01-15T15:27:31-07:00 Carrie 2880 K 675 Through a 3+ year battle with cancer, this young lady never lost sight of what mattered to her. Her education, her family. She didn't want to be the center of attention, didn't want people to feel sorry for her. She maintained a 3.0+ grade average at a major university while suffering through chemo and surgeries. She continued to work and go to school until her very last day. Even when she felt her worst, she focused on loving and caring for the people she loved. Carrie never gave up hope of beating her cancer...she continued to plan her future. An upcoming wedding day, graduation from college, becoming a success in her chosen field. She was stronger than any person I have ever known, and her memory inspires me every day to never give up, no matter the circumstances. 2010-01-18T13:39:37-07:00 1 squareia@hotmail.com 1 2010-01-10T22:45:45-07:00 Alan 2876 C 674 When I was a child our family was on welfare and not doing well. We were four children being raised by a single mother. Alan had never met us before, but ended up paying for our education and serving as a role model to me until this very day. Without his kindness and guidance it is hard to imagine that I would have been able to accomplish all that I have today. 2010-01-18T13:36:54-07:00 1 Barnett Frankel stk37112@go.stockton.edu 2010-01-06T15:32:33-07:00 William 2875 R 673 Bill is a college professor at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. He teaches, among other courses, Microbiology. As I've already had the class and been graded, and I won't have him for any other classes, there is no conflict of interest in my sharing this story. Bill is my hero for the following reason: In the fall of 2008 he had the lower portion of his left leg removed due to complications from diabetes. This is a fairly common issue with diabetics (my wife's cousin also had the same operation done and as I am a diabetic, I take great care of my feet). Bill came back to work at the school and taught the spring semester of 2009. He hasn't stopped running since. I know that his ambition was to run a 5K in the Fall of 2009, but I don't know if he did. What I do know is that he has allowed the students to ask him about the operation and answers all questions with a grace and dignity that I find inspiring. When he wears shorts, he has a "sock" that he puts over the mechanical knee, and most of these socks are humorous in nature. The second reason that Bill is a hero is that he worked on a way to use stale beer (and it must be stale) to re-mediate certain types of pollution. 2010-01-18T13:35:37-07:00 1 Niki Martin nikimartin@activist.com 1 2010-01-06T10:38:13-07:00 Suzzette 2874 E 672 My hero is my pastor's wife, Suzzette. She is an amazing woman. She has advanced Parkinson's disease but you will never hear her complain. She always has a smile on her face and is always helping someone in need. She never speaks discouragingly about anyone. She is an amazing woman. A woman of faith, integrity, strength, beauty, and much more. 2010-01-06T10:38:13-07:00 1 Mike Michelsen, Jr. mmichelsen@charter.net 1 2010-01-03T22:43:13-07:00 Michael 2873 M 671 My hero is my father who, sadly, passed away May 28, 2001, but left a legacy for his sons that will outlive all of us. Born a cast-off kid in Omaha, my father worked his whole life to make a better life for himself and his family. He never crowed about his accomplishments, and even took his share of hardships, but he never complained, and his family always came first. He always was, and always will be my hero. 2010-01-03T22:43:13-07:00 1 Linda Garlock lgar48@bellsouth.net 1 2010-01-02T17:06:06-07:00 Len 2872 G 670 Len was diagnosed with Alpha 1 Antitrypsen deficiency, a generic form of emphysema. While his lungs deteriorated slowly over the years, he did what he could to stay healthy, continued his college education, worked out even while using supplemental oxygen to help him breath. Finally, Len was given the gift of life...a family donated their teenage daughter's organs after her untimely death. Len received the gift of her lungs. He recovered from the lung transplant and met his donor's family. Now he works tirelessly on behalf of the Alpha 1 Antitrypsin deficiency organization, speaking on their behalf to help raise funds and participating in athletic events that bring awareness to importance of organ donation. 2010-01-18T13:30:59-07:00 1 Al allenhintz@hotmail.com 1 2009-12-30T19:44:58-07:00 Jan 2870 H 669 My late wife Jan is and always will be my hero. She and I met when we were teenagers, I married her two years later. She and I had such a wonderful marriage. We had our ups and our downs just like everyone else, but we had a warm and trusting relationship. God so richly blessed us with a fine, fine son, we built two great homes together and had two exchange students in our home plus countless friends of our son that still call us mom and dad to this day. I have always blessed and thanked God for sending Jan to me, she was able to get me to do so many things in my life with her that I'd have never done if I hadn't married her. Jan was beautiful, she was warm, and she was a fabulous cook among so many other shining attributes. I have always said since her death, she wasn't perfect but she was perfect for me. We were so fortunate to have each other for 36 years; she died suddenly on Sept. 3, 2005. God was always the center of our union, He never turned his back on us in our times of need and we always kept Him number One in our relationship. I will always thank Him for sending her to me. I treasure your memory sweetheart, I always will. 2010-01-18T13:28:57-07:00 1 Meredith Lincoln 1 2009-12-26T21:19:12-07:00 Eunice Kennedy Shriver 2869 668 One of my biggest heroes is the founder of the Special Olympics. Her family, and the world, lost this beautiful soul this year. Her story has been told, published, and shared. I do not believe I have the ability to express just what she did for individuals with disabilities, their families, and the rest of us that have been granted to opportunity to share their gifts in thanks to her. It is my hope that this suggestion may lead to a billboard in her honor. 2009-12-26T21:19:12-07:00 1 Vicky Luckower luckyvic@comcast.net 1 2009-12-20T09:17:57-07:00 Bill 2866 W 667 Bill Wilson founded Alcoholics Anonymous during the great depression, along with the help of Dr. Bob Smith. These two hopeless alcoholics worked with other hopeless alcoholics starting in 1935. Almost 75 years later millions & millions alcoholics and addicts have been helped and achieved life time sobriety due to the vision of these two men. 2010-01-18T13:19:23-07:00 1 Robert D. Frank robertfrankrxxx@yahoo.com 1 2009-12-19T09:39:56-07:00 Robert 2865 F 666 My dad is my hero because he was always there for me no matter what and he was always ready to teach me things. He taught me the value of perseverance and that in order to make it in the world you had to get out there and make it happen yourself. He died a few days ago and now I realize all that he meant to me and I'm going to miss his guidance and encouragement and friendship so very much. 2010-01-18T13:18:03-07:00 1 Callie A mrs.hunkyvegetable13@yahoo.com 1 2009-12-11T17:32:30-07:00 Jesse 2861 S 665 My grandfather is my hero. After leaving Korea as a war hero, he went on to become a police officer. Later on, he felt God directing him into a career as a pastor. He was a dedicated father, grandfather, husband, patriot and Christian who changed the lives of everyone he met. He taught his children and grandchildren so much, and even after a stroke which left him paralyzed on his right side, he continued to be an inspiration, and a role model to everyone. He was the most brilliant man I ever met, and nobody who knew him will ever forget him. RIP, Grandpi. 2010-01-18T13:12:52-07:00