President's Message »

Heroes — not a word we choose lightly.  There are heroes in battles who risk their lives for others and for the greater cause.  These are extraordinary heroes, and we rightfully celebrate their glory and often memorialize their lives. 

A true hero values others above self. According to Merriam-Webster, a hero symbolizes the ideal of a people or a group.  Heroes are ordinary people who do exemplary acts of kindness, thoughtfulness, courage, and love, not seeking fame or fortune and often not wanting their efforts acknowledged.  We have many such people in our midst, and I’d like to single out several of them in order to share their recent deeds with you.

George Washington’s Birthday dawned like any Monday.  As that day progressed, we knew nothing of the tragedy that would unfold for 32 innocent people and indirectly impact the lives of hundreds, even thousands of others.  This group, the guests of an Exploritas program, participated in a learning experience at Archbold Biological Research Station, and later, enjoyed the murals of Lake Placid.  On the way back to their hotel, a traffic accident forced the tour bus off the highway, and it rolled over on its side.  Two of these travelers died at the scene, one more followed three days later.  Everyone was hurt, some critically.

It was one of those moments we’ll never forget.  This is certainly the case for Becky Rousch, who was pulled from the bus miraculously uninjured.  Becky had the presence of mind to call for help first, and then to call us about what had happened.  She had experienced a horrific tragedy, but what she was most concerned about was her fellow travelers.  The next morning, as we gathered to formulate a plan for dealing with the crises, Becky was there with the important documents we needed to contact family members.  She was there in spite of her own trauma, because she cared about these people and about doing whatever she could to help them.  In my book, Becky is a hero. Read the full story »