United Way: Everyday heroes in Lenawee County
What is a hero? According to the Oxford Dictionary, a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” For the past 22 years, Everyday Heroes have been celebrated in Monroe County, a fundraiser hosted by and for the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties. There are some remarkable people honored who have performed some extraordinary actions — selfless people who make the world a better place. Many individuals and groups have been honored at a Celebration banquet since 2003. Recently, we honored 18 local hometown heroes this past Wednesday, April 3, at LaRoy’s Hall in LaSalle, Michigan, in front of a crowd of 200 people. Once again, it was a guaranteed heartwarming evening!
For the past eight years, Everyday Heroes has also been celebrated right here in Lenawee County, a fundraiser hosted by and for the Catherine Cobb Safe House. There are some remarkable people honored who have performed some extraordinary actions — selfless people who make the world a better place. Over 60 individuals or groups have been honored at a Celebration banquet since 2016. This year they are set to honor another round of local hometown heroes. You can join the celebration in November 2024. I guarantee an amazing evening!
Each year, hero nominations are solicited from the community to honor actions from the previous year. The hero must either be a Lenawee County resident, employed in Lenawee County or the heroic action taken place in Lenawee County. A group of community leaders, called the nominating committee, reviews all the nominations and selects the winners in the categories: Youth Good Samaritan, Adult Good Samaritan, Fire, Law Enforcement, Animal Rescue, Community, Medical Professional, Education, Faith-Based, Justice/Courts and the Laura Haviland Award for Human Services Professionals. Adrian Police Chief, Vince Emrick, is the chair of the nominating committee. Sheriff Troy Bevier has also been the chair of this committee. This year’s honorees are being honored for actions and activities in 2023.
Twenty-two years ago, my former Red Cross staff, board members and I started a journey to honor Everyday Heroes in Monroe County. I wouldn’t have believed 22 years later that the Everyday Heroes event would still be this popular. But for both counties, similar in demographics, this is a great way to honor extraordinary hometown people. It really becomes a community celebration of everything that is good in the community, in this world. And God knows we need some good news now!
Please consider joining the celebration this November! Contact the Catherine Cobb Safe House office at 517-265-5352 or go to fcssoflenawee.org or more info. Come see and hear about the heroes in Lenawee County. I promise there will be some remarkable stories again this year! And please think about nominating a hero in 2024 for next year’s celebration. The world needs more heroes — let’s celebrate them together right here in Lenawee County!
Please join us as we kick off the golf season with our Fourth Annual Lenawee Charity Golf Outing on Friday, May 17th at the Raisin Valley Golf Club in Tecumseh. The cost is $100 per golfer. To register as a player, go to unitedwayMLC.org. To be a sponsor, contact me as noted below.
The United Way funds 10 local Lenawee County agency programs and serves as a donor designation vehicle for 30+ additional agencies. All funds raised in Lenawee County stay in Lenawee County. We appreciate your support to help fight poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, mental health and substance use disorders, domestic violence, and other important community needs!
For more information about donating to the United Way, please contact us! Call us at 517-264-6821, email lpipis@unitedwaymlc.org, visit us at 136 E. Maumee St., Ste. 15, Adrian, MI 49221 or visit our website at www.unitedwaymlc.org Visit our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok social media platforms, too!
— Laura Schultz Pipis is the executive director of the United Way of Monroe/Lenawee Counties.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: United Way: Everyday heroes in Lenawee County
