The couple who have three children- Olivia Drae, Bane Alton Drake and Bayo Shalom - found themselves struggling with the everyday tasks of life after loosing their son Bane. Out of this tremendous loss, they started Banebow, an organization which provides mental, physical, and spiritual assistance to families who have sustained the sudden loss of a child.
Often the most deserving heroes are also the most humble. So is the case with Tracy Halloran. Tracy, who grew up in the inner city of Chicago, has called Franklin, Tennessee home for the past seventeen years. For the past 14 years she has been a part of the local Meals on Wheels effort, first volunteering as a driver and in 2007 she took over as the Franklin coordinator for Monday, Wednesday and Friday MOW, originally founded by Janielle Westbrook.
GiGi's Playhouse, a national achievement center for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community has just opened a Nashville location. Offering more than 25 therapeutic and educational programs focused on advancing literacy, math skills, motor skills and more all free of charge. Local mother, Melissa Wenger, whose child has Down syndrome, along with her child's teacher, decided there were not enough resources in Nashville for people with Down Syndrome and lead the vision of bringing GiGi's Playhouse to Nashville.
As Director of Williamson County Animal Services, Laura Chavarria has improved the adoption experience with a remodel of the front office area, lobby TV monitors, skylights and an improvement in general shelter cleanliness. A firm believer in the power of marketing, Chavarria has implemented several successful monthly adoption campaigns like Summer of Love, the 31 Days of October, and Home for the Holidays hoping to capture the attention of the local community.
After a childhood filled with neglect, abuse, abandonment, foster homes and trouble with the law, on the heels of serving time in Vietnam with the military, Carl Carlson made some bad choices and ended up in the state penitentiary on an armed robbery charge. It was during his time in prison that Carl found Christ and from that point on has dedicated his life to help the less fortunate and the ostracized in our society.
For the past 30 plus years, Gayle Moyer Harris, has helped shaped Williamson County through her work serving as a county commissioner. Because of her leadership helping to form the Williamson County Economic Development effort and Franklin Tomorrow as well as her service on the Board of Directors for the Williamson County Public Library, YMCA of Middle Tennessee and the Board of Directors for the Community Housing Partnership of Williamson County and her efforts serving as the inaugural director of the 21st Judicial District Drug Court.
In 8 years Kennette Pyles taught survival skills in the Nashville area to more than 1,000 local infants and young children. After loosing her own son Ryan to a tragic drowning, she also helped to create the Ryan Pyles Aquatic Foundation to help prevent childhood drowning.
Dorie Bolze has spent her career committed to conservation. For over 15 years she led the Harpeth River Watershed Association based in Williamson County. Her commitment to the preservation and restoration of environmental resources, including the Harpeth River, has made a tremendous difference in communities across Middle Tennessee.
Many locals already know the story- when Ellie Ambrose was only 10 years old, she had a dream of hosting a 5K Run and Family Fun Day to benefit kids in the slums of Africa. Over the past 11 years, thousands of middle Tennessee runners and Hero fund raisers have joined together to raise over $500,000 funding education for thousands of kids who now have hope of a future outside of the slums.
At the tender age of 7 Christian Kissinger convinced his mother to take on a position that led to her starting a statewide branch of VSA International, an organization dedicated to providing opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in and express themselves through the arts and arts education. And over the years he has helped VSA Tennessee in multiple ways, from meeting with the legislators in Washington, D.C. lobbying for the cause, to performing for children with disabilities to help inspire them to reach their goals.
