Heroes from Nebraska and Iowa will be recognized during the game in Lincoln on Friday, November 27, 2015
DES MOINES — Who is your hero? Do you know someone who has performed an extraordinary act of courage or dedicated countless hours to a special cause? The American Red Cross is looking for those unheralded and unselfish citizens who have gone above and beyond in their everyday lives.
A hero from both Iowa and Nebraska will be honored before a crowd at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, NE, when the Nebraska Cornhuskers and Iowa Hawkeyes play the Heroes Game presented by Hy-Vee on Friday, Nov. 27. Nominations can be submitted at www.hy-vee.com or redcross.org/HyVeeHeroes to nominate your hero today.
“There are heroes walking among us every day – the people who put others above themselves – and it is our pleasure to work with Hy-Vee, the University of Nebraska and the University of Iowa to recognize heroes from Iowa and Nebraska,” said Leslie Schaffer, regional executive of the American Red Cross in Iowa.
People who are nominated as a hero must be at least 18 years of age and live, work or go to school in either Iowa or Nebraska; however, their act of heroism or good deed need not have occurred in either state. One person from both Iowa and Nebraska will be selected to represent each state at the Hy-Vee Heroes Game on Nov. 27. Recipients will receive four tickets to the game and have their name and hometown inscribed on the Heroes Game trophy.
Nominations will be accepted Sept. 26 – Oct. 26. Nomination forms and rules can be found online at www.hy-vee.com or may be picked up at local Nebraska and Iowa Hy-Vee stores. Nominations may be filled out online or mailed to the American Red Cross Iowa Region Office, 2116 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA, 50312 or faxed to 515-244-8012 by midnight Oct. 26. All non-winning entries for the Hy-Vee Heroes Game will be re-submitted for consideration at the Annual American Red Cross Heroes of the Heartland recognition events in 2016 in Iowa and Nebraska.
Last year’s heroes:
Austin Benson, Winterset, IA – On the Fourth of July, Austin Benson remained calm and was very brave when he rushed to help his friend Rachel Riley after she was thrown from her horse. The saddle horn punctured her leg causing traumatic injuries. As Rachel’s mom called for help, Austin used his shirt to apply pressure to the wound. He held Rachel’s hand and talked to his friend, trying to keep her calm while they waited for the ambulance. Rachel’s family wouldn’t know until later, but the injury to Rachel’s leg was a severed artery. The pediatric LifeFlight nurse said Austin’s actions and ability to stay calm saved Rachel’s life.
Gene Willers, Pilger, NE– On the afternoon of June 16, 2014, Midwest Bank president Gene Willers put the lives of his bank family first. Around 4 pm, a large tornado touched down southwest of the village of Pilger. After storm spotters called the bank to alert them of the danger, Gene ushered eight people, including several employees, into the bank vault and locked them inside minutes before the deadly tornado ripped through Pilger. Unfortunately, the vault could only be locked from the outside, so Gene sought shelter in a cellar below ground. The EF4 tornado destroyed the century-old Midwest Bank building. Thankfully, Gene emerged safely from below
