Who Is Your Hero?

Do you have a personal hero? Tell us about them. It doesn’t have to be perfect to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Your Everyday Hero: Keith L.

After reading a story about chimpanzees discarded from the biomedical testing industry, Keith put his entire being - hands, heart and bank account - into constructing a facility to provide sanctuary for these incredible animals forced into such sad situations. After many years of hard work and quiet determination, Keith built Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest, literally from the ground up, and in June 2008, welcomed Jamie, Jody, Foxie, Missy, Annie, Negra and Burrito. These seven chimpanzees had spent their entire lives (some more than 30 years) enduring horrible experiments and having their babies snatched from them at birth. They spent the last 10 years in tiny cages in a windowless basement.

The Cle Elum Seven, as they are now called, live in a gorgeous building, with views of the Cascasde mountains, and an outdoor area where they can feel grass beneath their feet, breathe the fresh air and hear the calls of soaring eagles. The Cle Elum Seven have inspired a large and strong community to care for them and to educate others about compassion, kindness, giving, humility and heroism. All of this from the dedicated actions of one man. Keith teaches us all that one person can indeed make a difference - and that everyone, human and animal, deserves the chance to live free of terror; the chance not just to survive in this world, but to thrive.

Submitted by Zibby