The American Red Cross Northwest Wisconsin Chapter
is pleased to announce the local heroes who will be recognized at the 2026 Northwest
Wisconsin Heroes Breakfast on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 7:45 a.m. at the Florian Gardens
Conference Center, located at 2340 Lorch Ave., Eau Claire.
The annual Heroes Breakfast honors the Red Cross’s humanitarian mission and celebrates the
local individuals and groups who have gone above and beyond to save a life or make our
community better. We will recognize those whose bravery, dedication, and humanitarian efforts
create a meaningful, positive impact.
“It is an honor to celebrate the extraordinary individuals in our community who continually rise to
meet the needs of others,” said Jenny Legaspi, Interim Executive Director of the Northwest
Wisconsin Chapter. “At the 22nd annual Northwest Wisconsin Heroes Breakfast, we recognize
the enduring impact these heroes have made across our region. Their compassion, generosity,
and steadfast commitment reflect the very heart of the Red Cross mission, to bring comfort,
hope, and relief wherever it’s needed most.”
The Heroes Breakfast also serves as the annual fundraising event to support programs and
services provided by the Northwest Wisconsin Chapter of the Red Cross.
Chosen across a handful of categories, honorees are selected based on the degree to which
their actions uphold the values of the Red Cross humanitarian mission and leave a lasting and
positive impact on our communities.
The 2026 Northwest Wisconsin Heroes are:
Blood Services Hero:
Chuck Daly (Chippewa County)
Community Impact Hero:
Nicole Carter (Polk County)
Emergency Response Heroes:
Anthony Helstern (Chippewa County) Cadott Police Department
Jeremy Kenealy (Chippewa County) Cadott Area Fire & Rescue
Michael Seeley (Chippewa County) Cadott Area Fire & Rescue
Red Cross Hero:
Doris Durst (Chippewa County)
Hero of a Lifetime:
Carl Broberg (Bayfield County)
Military Hero:
Sofas for Service – Jeff Staads, Executive Director (Eau Claire County)
Youth & Young Adult Heroes: Bloomer Middle School
Christofer Smikrud, 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher (Chippewa County)
Ben Behling, co-teacher (Chippewa County)
Event sponsors include Xcel Energy, Mrs. Julie Garber in Memory of Dr. Brad Garber, WQOW
News-18 and EZ New Media. This year’s individual Heroes sponsors are Group Health
Cooperative of Eau Claire, HOMETECH by Mosaic, Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company,
OakLeaf Surgical Hospital, Royal Credit Union, Security Financial Bank and Trust Point.
Additional support sponsors include our Courage in Action sponsors Associated Bank and
Ruder Ware. And our 2025 Table sponsors are Ayres Associates, Burstad Insurance, Festival
Foods, In Honor of Military – Dave and Barb Nelson, Nicolet Bank, TTM Technologies, Weld
Riley and Northwestern Bank.
Reserve your seat:
Reserve your seat by visiting redcross.org/wisconsin and selecting the event under the Events
header on the home page. Reservations for this event are $50, and all proceeds support the
Red Cross of Northwest Wisconsin.
For more information, email Jenny.Legaspi@redcross.org.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies
about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international
humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is
a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public
to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or
CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.
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