My dad Sal was a NY Fireman for 26 years until his retirement in 1986. After that, he spent the next 15 years painting homes and visiting his friends at the firehouse. When September 11th happened my dad, then 67-years-old, dropped everything to join his old fire company down at ground zero. One of his best friends and that friend’s two sons were lost in the rubble and he was determined to stay until he found them. He spent the days digging through the rubble of what was once the World Trade Center. He was there every morning and came home late in the evening. You could see the distress and sorrow in his face, but he wouldn’t give up until he and the brave workers down at ground zero found them. On his last night there, my mom and I took him out to dinner at a local restaurant. He was still in his FDNY shirt and pants from that day. When the owner noticed him, he made an announcement to the entire restaurant as to where my dad spent his day. Everyone in the restaurant stood up to clap and cheer in his honor. Tears rolled down all of our faces. Although this was a great moment, I know my dad never did it for applause; he did it for brotherhood and friendship.

My nominee is my husband Greg Blackman, a fourth generation plumber and owner of his own plumbing company. Since 1986, Greg has also coached numerous little league sports including football and softball. In June 2006, during a softball swim party, an incident occurred that could have changed many lives had my husband not reacted quickly. My husband was preparing to give out trophies to the girls when a scream brought everything to a halt. The scream was from a teammate's mother who saw her 4 year-old son on the bottom of the pool. While trying to get to the pool, she slipped and fell. Greg jumped over her and into the pool. When he brought the child up, he was blue and completely rigid from head to toe. My husband screamed, "Call 911 now!" Once out of the pool, he tried to begin CPR, but could not get any air to his lungs because all the muscles were contracted. After a couple of tries and no success, he started chest compressions and within a few seconds, the boy went limp and began to cry; along with many of the 30 or so people watching. The little boy is doing fine today with no side-effects from the accident.

Pete Dingeman is the foreman at Griggs Steel, a very large user of LENOX band saw blades. Pete spends most of his non-work time raising money to support his favorite charity, Children's Tumor Foundation. Recently, 57-year-old Pete traveled from Michigan to Arizona to compete in a full marathon to raise money for Children's Tumor Foundation. As his LENOX Supplier, I have the opportunity to observe Pete regularly and he promotes his charity to everyone he meets. He has personally suffered through a battle with cancer, but you would never know it when you see his high energy level, confidence and way of constantly giving with all of his heart to help both the children that are suffering and to find a cure. His giving attitude is very infectious. There is no question in my mind that Pete Dingeman fits the description of a LENOX Extra Mile Hero.

After two years of seminary, Roy began a four decade career in construction. Within that same time, he has also built a remarkable secondary career of good works. In 1992, Roy founded the Bartlett Lions Club golf outing to raise money for the needs of blind and deaf children. He works year-round to ensure the event’s success. To date, his efforts have raised more than $185,000 to buy eyeglasses and hearing aids for those in need as well as fund summer camps and schools for blind and deaf children. Roy also puts his good name, talents, and his own money into countless other community efforts. This includes his work with the Bartlett Little League for which he has worked to raise money and support to build fields and concession buildings for the League; making it the largest little league in America. Roy regularly donates materials and his skills as a tradesman to projects like the design and build of wheelchair ramps for the poor; building a massive memorial pavilion for the Park District; a memorial arbor for a church garden (in progress) just to mention a few. Whenever there is an unmet need in our community, Roy is the first to step forward with a solution and the last to see it through. Where there is loss, Roy is first to cry and fastest to speed the healing. Roy is now retired from the contracting and concrete companies that he once owned and operated, but when the weekend comes and you see Roy charging ahead on his skid steer, smiling and waving.

When Tim Kurth moved to the small town of Hawarden, Iowa he quickly made a difference in the lives of many Hawarden citizens. In just two years, he has quietly provided more hours of volunteer service to the community than many lifelong residents. In the last year Tim has used his carpentry skills and 250 hours of volunteer labor to upgrade and maintain buildings in historic Calliope Village and to restore the original stagecoach stop that was the center of the Hawarden community. He assisted by moving more buildings to the site and placing them on new foundation and shingling. He virtually rebuilt the latest addition to the village, a nineteenth century store by installing new sill plates and siding, rebuilding the cupola, repairing and replacing window and repairing and sanding wood floors. Tim’s keen sense of historic preservation has helped him make repairs to the buildings that maintain the historic integrity of the buildings. Tim also supervises and volunteers during spring and fall clean ups of the buildings. For years, the Calliope Village Committee has struggled to maintain the sixteen buildings on the site. Now, with Tim’s leadership and carpentry skills, Calliope Village has taken on a whole new look and new direction. Hawarden has truly found a champion to help preserve our history for generations.

Johnny McCarty is my father so I see firsthand how he helps his community with his trade skills every day. He is a roofer by trade and lives and works in the small town where he grew up. The majority of his customers are elderly and on a fixed income. He not only lowers his prices to meet their needs, he always ends up going back to his elderly customers homes to help install windows or do small jobs for free because he sees what bad shape the customers homes are in and wants to help make the improves the homeowners can’t afford to make. My father volunteers his time and skills to help build things for the local school and church as well. He is a highly respected member of his community. My father, who is nearing retirement, deserves to win this contest because he never asks for anything in return and always gives back.

Jim represents a unique combination of master craftsman, professional skateboarder, and philanthropist. Murf is always on the job. As one of America’s finest stained glass restorers, Murf works long and hard hours. One day he may be climbing scaffolding in the pouring rain to reach a church window while the next day he works until midnight in his studio to expertly repair a fragile art treasure. But it’s in his role as skateboarder that you really see Murf at work. As the founder of “Wounded Knee Skateboards,” Murf is committed to improving the lives of some of America’s poorest and vulnerable youth on the Lakota of the Pine Ridge reservation. Murf believes that skateboarding gives the youth of Pine Ridge an opportunity for healthy exercise and more importantly, skating with a Wounded Knee skateboard gives them a sense of cultural pride. Every skateboard that Murf builds features positive Native American images and an information card that gives a short history or biography about a key event or person in Lakota history. Recently, Murf formed the non-profit foundation Nibwaakaawin to bring the healthy and positive life lessons inherent in skateboarding to the entire Native American community. Each year, he helps Nibwaakaawin run and sponsor the All Nations Skate Jam, the largest and most prestigious Native American skateboard competition in America. Whether working hard with his hands or heart, Jim Murphy exemplifies the Extra Mile Hero.

My name is Bryan Anderson and I am a triple amputee from the Iraq War. I am nominating my Uncle Rick Schar as my hero who has gone the extra mile. When Uncle Rick found out about my injuries, he knew right away that things would be different for me. It was clear that I wouldn’t be able to use my power wheelchair in the house that I had lived in prior to my injuries. Right away, Uncle Rick started thinking about how he could help and remodel my house. He rallied a bunch of volunteer laborers and then went around to all surrounding suppliers to see if they would donate supplies. The town organized a fund-raiser which covered the majority of the material costs. He was able to take my 960 sq. ft. house and turn it into a luxurious 2700 sq. ft. home that I was able to easily able to navigate and access all of the amenities. My uncle took six months of his life and dedicated it to me by working 16 hour days, non-stop until the project was complete; often having to re-do work that he did not consider up to standard. My uncle and his family are going through a tough time now and this is my way of trying to help them. My Uncle Rick made my house perfect so that I could come home and live life with ease. I owe him for that.

Brian has volunteered his time and trade skills to help those in need in the US as well as in Mexico and India. In Mexico, he helped build homes in the very poor community of Maneadero where the families had previously lived in cardboard shacks. Although these were simple homes, they provided much better shelter for the families. He also used his skills to run the electrical wiring for a medical clinic in Maneadero. Brian also spent time in India where he toured with performing arts groups that performed for groups of children in poverty stricken areas. The groups brought a moment of joy to young lives that experienced very little happiness. While there, he also worked with schools to teach young boys woodworking skills that would help them earn a living. When home in California, Brian volunteers his time to help feed the homeless. He travels around his neighborhood handing out lunches to the homeless. Brian has done a lot of great things. He always goes above and beyond in life and in his job as a Maintenance Supervisor. He brings joy into the lives of the residents he serves everyday with his heart-warming smile.