Thank You Everyday Heroes
Sometimes we forget that it doesn’t take a Netflix subscription to see heroes. You pass them on the street. See them at coffee. Sit behind them at church. They don’t wear masks or capes, so sometimes they can be hard to spot. Until you need them.
On Sunday, October 24, 2022, we saw our heroes in action. Nearly 290 of them, fought the wildfires around Hallam. They ran into harm’s way, battling an inferno that stretched 9,000 acres across Gage and Lancaster Counties without any thought for themselves. While our minds immediately picture the firefighters, EMTs, law enforcement, emergency management personnel, and others who typically appear in emergencies like these, we can’t forget the residents and farmers who were vital to winning the fight.
Some of them were Monolith employees.
But the spirit of selflessness didn’t stop there. That’s where it began. Neighboring towns set up emergency shelters for individuals who had to evacuate and took in livestock in the path of the blaze. Through the chaos and obstacles, exceptional individuals came together not to run away from the danger but to run toward the threat to help in any way they could. Working together, they, too, were successful in containing the blaze.
That’s when many of the reporters and politicians stopped paying attention. But the community did not.
Our volunteer firefighters continued to watch and assist with numerous hot spots across the burned area. The damage and destruction hit some harder than others, and the work to repair began right away. Those who could not assist – as they lacked the equipment and knowledge to be on the front lines – recognized the sacrifice others were making. It began with a celebration and gathering at the Hallam fire Station on Tuesday evening, Nov 1st, with signs and flags to show our gratitude to the firefighters.
Then, on Nov 3rd First State Bank announced a $25,000 matching funds donation to support area firefighters. Many local businesses quickly stepped up to donate funds for the match and to support all the volunteer fire departments that participated in fighting the wildfires. As of Thursday night, organizers had raised $32,000. Add that to First State’s match of $25,000, and that’s a total of $57,000 raised so far.
