Heroes challenge others. Five years ago, any victim of a serious accident in Evansville would have been transferred to a larger city for medical care. But one man changed that. Dr. Cary Hanni's contributions to trauma services in the community will forever impact the quality of life for everyone living in the Tri-State. In 2003, Dr. Hanni was instrumental in establishing Deaconess' trauma services. Saint Mary's Hospital followed suit soon after, meaning there are now two trauma programs in our community that are verified by the American College of Surgeons. The process was a long, tedious, and sometime grueling process. Dr. Hanni's vision and tenacity led to the development of two trauma centers in the Tri-State, which is unusual for a community this size. For patients, Dr. Hanni's efforts mean closer access to care after a family is in a car accident. It means a child involved in a four-wheeling accident does not have to be transported to a bigger city before getting the needed medical care. Dr. Hanni's work means families can be closer to the one they love when something horrific happens.  He has worked tirelessly to ensure better outcomes and a speedier recovery after accidents for all families in the Tri-State. Heroes challenge others.

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Heroes serve. Flood waters were quickly threatening one Evansville woman's house last spring. Her husband was deployed to Iraq and she didn't know what to do to keep the water from destroying her home. That's when the River City Squadron Civil Air Patrol Cadets stepped in. The Cadets worked for hours, sandbagging around the home near Heckel Road. It was because of their efforts that Valerie Ferguson's home was saved from the encroaching waters. Whether it's one woman that needs help, or an entire community in need, the Civil Air Patrol Cadets are there to offer a helping hand. To the group, it's all about citizens serving the community. Last fall, after the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through the Tri-State, the Cadets worked in Warrick County preparing food for Red Cross shelter residents. This past January, they worked several days at the Red Cross during the ice storm relief. They shoveled snow and ice, organized disaster supplies, and worked in shelters. No matter how big or small the task, these outstanding young men and women are always willing to help when help is needed the most. Heroes serve.

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Heroes serve those who served. No matter the weather, no matter the day, the Retired Veteran's Memorial Club is there to give a last farewell to fellow veterans. The group provides a gun salute, live Taps, and a flag to every local veteran who was honorably discharged from the service or who has died in the line of service. The all-volunteer group of mostly older gentleman make sure that each veteran has a fitting farewell, and that his or her family receives the comfort of having their loved ones service and sacrifices remembered. These ceremonies sometimes take place multiple times a week. Bill Mitchell, who represents the group in receiving the award, has been performing these services for over a decade. Their dedication and respect for their fellow veterans make them Our Heroes. Heroes serve those who served.

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Heroes care. Students in Kristi Taylor's class at the EVSC's Learning Center are taking more than English and Math skills away from the classroom. Mrs. Taylor's students are learning the lesson of how to truly care about the people around them. Students at The Learning Center face many challenges and Mrs. Taylor must juggle academic lessons with being a life coach. Her students say they don't know what path they would be walking down today if it wasn't for Mrs. Taylor taking extra time to talk with them. Anytime a student has a problem, Mrs. Taylor tells them to come talk to her in her "office". She takes the student outside in the hallway and spends as much time as they need until she can help develop a solution to whatever problem they may be facing. Students say regardless of their past behavior and problems, she treats them with respect and focuses on make their future the best it can be. Mrs. Taylor puts in countless hours and her own resources to develop meaningful programs to ensure her students are ready for future challenges and are successful in our community after graduation. Heroes care.

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Heroes are positive people. Ann Moore is many different things to many different people. She is a wife, mother, former news anchor, friend, and dedicated Christian. Even for those who have never met Ann, she is a shining example of hope and perseverance. In May 2007, at the age of 50, Ann was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. Facing grim statistics that go along with the diagnosis, Ann vowed to fight the disease. She's dealt with immense pain and numerous treatments since her diagnosis. But she's also shared her battle and inspiration with the Evansville community throughout the entire process. Despite her physical pain, Ann remains the backbone of her family and is active in her church. With the help of her family, she developed a website (www.annmoore.org) that serves as a message board and offers cancer resources to others that doctors often refer to the site. In September, Ann, along with her husband Randy, spearheaded a blood drive for the Red Cross. It was one of the largest blood drives in recent history. Ann is also working to make things better for other cancer patients. She is striving to bring a Gilda's Club center to Evansville, a place where families can come for information and support in a homelike setting. With painful and uncertain circumstances, Ann has remained hopeful. She says prayer gives her comfort and peace to continue to enjoy living her life and helping others too. Heroes are positive people.

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Heroes never hesitate to help. Cindy Ross was busy working at the Oakland City Post office on February 17, 2009 when her business-as-usual day quickly changed. She received a frantic call from her elderly mother who lives just two blocks away from the Post Office. Cindy found out her father had fallen and was unresponsive. She darted out the door, shouting to her co-workers about where she was going. When Cindy reached her parents' home she called 911 and started CPR. That's when she realized her co-worker, Gregory Bryant, had followed her to help. Greg quickly checked Cindy's father for vital signs and began CPR. When rescuers arrived, Greg quietly returned to work. Cindy's father died later that day but she says she'll always be thankful for Greg who came to her rescue. In the moment she saw her father lying on the floor, she was overwhelmed and frightened. Cindy says every time she looks at Greg she feels like she is looking into the eyes of her hero. Although her father passed away, she is comforted by the fact that Greg helped her do everything possible to save his life. Heroes never hesitate to help.

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Heroes change lives. Sister Joanna Trainer, a Benedictine nun, has dedicated her life to serving others. She spent many years teaching young children and has always worked with the least fortunate in our community. While volunteering at a local soup kitchen, Sister Joanna saw a need for a shelter for women and children. In 1984, she purchased and converted a rundown house, and began "The House of Bread and Peace." At the shelter, women have much more than a safe and warm place to stay. Women have access to counseling and help in securing a job. Sister Joanna's vision was to create a place where women would eventually leave as independent and self-sufficient individuals. Regardless of their past experiences, each woman is treated with dignity and respect at the House of Bread and Peace. Sister Joanna believes the way to achieve true healing is with hope, love and peace...something the shelter she started passes along to everyone who walks through their door. Heroes change lives.

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Heroes save lives. A routine oil well plugging operation was underway just outside Crossville, Illinois on October 29, 2008. In an instant, the routine operation turned into a fiery explosion. Two workers lost their lives, and several others were injured. One of the injured men was Glen Iles. Iles may have lost his life that day if it wasn't for Brad Cunningham. Cunningham is a well inspector for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and was monitoring the plugging operation when the well exploded. He rushed to pull Iles from the flames, put him in his pick-up and raced to get him help. Cunningham drove Iles to a grocery store where an ambulance picked him up and took him to a location to be airlifted to a hospital. Cunningham also had severe burns to his arms, face and head from pulling Iles from the flames. He was also airlifted to a burn unit after getting Iles help. In a moment's notice, one man ran into fire to help another man, even if it meant endangering his life too. Heroes save lives.

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Heroes go beyond the call of duty. It's no surprise that many people consider firefighters to be heroes. After all, they run into burning buildings to rescue families and preserve what they can of businesses and homes. One firefighter takes his work just as seriously as his life of service. John Cline is known as a firefighter who takes a special interest in new firefighters, showing them the ropes and supporting them in any way he can. He makes it a point to support his fellow firefighters outside of the workplace too. He spent hours helping his Captain restore an old car for a wedding anniversary gift for the Captain's parents'. He collects money each year for MDA, volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, and shaved his head for St. Baldrick's Fund for Children's Cancer Research. John is there to help anyone who needs it, even if he's never met the person in need. Recently, John was notified that he was a match for someone needing a bone marrow transplant. He made the trip to Indianapolis several times to have the marrow extracted. John endured the painful and grueling procedure all to help someone he had never met. John knew his donation could change the life of the recipient. Because of John and his selflessness, the cancer patient survived and is living a healthy life. Heroes go beyond the call of duty.

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Heroes never give up. July 1, 2008 was the first day of a three-day camp for members of the Boom Squad. Members of the youth drum line gathered at the FOP PAL camp, excited to learn more about police officers and spend hot summer days having fun. After a morning of activities, members went for a swim in the lake. That's when the fun afternoon turned frantic. Marcus Robinson, a soon to be Senior at Bosse High School, slipped beneath the lake's murky waters. Jessica Luigs, on-duty lifeguard, noticed Marcus struggling and began screaming for help. Seven police officers, working at the camp that day, plunged in the water to search for Marcus. Deputy Chief, Cindy Brush, immediately called 911 from the beach while Monty Guenin, David Fehrenbacher, Nick Henderson, Jeff Worthington, Mike Sitzman, Jason Cullum, and Brian Hildebrandt began diving under water. The seven men and Lifeguard Luigs organized a system to comb the lake, the officers taking turns searching the deep water. Officers were utterly exhausted when one officer finally located and pulled Marcus from the bottom of the lake. He was unresponsive and not breathing. Rescuers eventually restarted his heart and breathing. After fighting for his life for ten days, Marcus later lost his battle in the hospital. Water rescue teams say given the size, visibility, and depth of the lake it could have taken two days to find a victim in the lake. But, these policemen were determined to find Marcus and give him a chance to survive. They repeatedly risked their own safety, desperately trying to give another young man another chance. Heroes never give up.

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Heroes are all ages. Most 10-year-old boys still rely on their parents to take care of them and keep them out of harm's way. The tables were quickly turned on Will Potts. On January 14, 2008, Will and his mother, Vanessa, stopped for gas at a convenience store in Morganfield, Kentucky. Suddenly, a fire started and the Potts' vehicle and gas pump were engulfed in flames, catching Vanessa's clothes on fire. Will remembered the "stop, drop, and roll" lesson his father taught him. When his mother started running away from the car, with fire burning her body, Will yelled for her to stop. Vanessa did not hear her son's shouts, so he tackled her to the ground. He quickly grabbed one of her shoes that had fallen off and beat the flames out until his mother was safe. Vanessa says Will was her hero that day. Will's response was that he was simply doing what he had to do. Heroes are all ages.

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Heroes never forget. They roar in, a pack of motorcycle riders determined to remember. They are the voice of fallen soldiers. They are the strong arm for families to lean on. They are the men and women that boldly fly our country's flag, no matter if it is at a soldier's funeral or a welcome home celebration. The Patriot Guard Riders' mission is clear: display an unwavering respect for those who risk their lives for America's freedom and security. Members don't care what kind of bike you ride, or even if you ride, the only prerequisite for membership respect for our country and the men and women serving it. It's a group of people that set all political views aside and rally together when a soldier does not make it home. They attend funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family and sometimes must shield those same families from interruptions created by protestors. The Patriot Guard Riders make remembering each and every service member's sacrifice their personal mission and civilian duty. Each member will tell you they ride to serve those who serve and honor the honorable. Heroes never forget.

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Heroes give their lives. When our country calls for help, there are men and women who answer the call. These soldiers all realize they may have to make the ultimate sacrifice to defend all that is good about the place we so proudly call home. They leave their families. They serve without regard for their personal gain. They are willing to lay down their lives for the United States of America. Some soldiers will never return home to their wives, take their children to school again, or have another Sunday dinner with their parents. But still, these soldiers choose to serve, and are dedicated to their assigned duties. To all of the men and women who have paid the ultimate price for freedom; we honor, respect and will always remember your sacrifice. Heroes give their lives.

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