Hero night
Hero night has long become a highlight at Redeem The Dream! This program happens at Youth Night about once each month. After the band finishes their set, we give the stage to a 'hero' on these nights. Our intent here is to provide our youth with examples of success on a regular basis. It serves as an inspiration for our teens, and instills hope inside of them. We want them to understand, that if these people from all walks of life were able to overcome great challenges and achieve success, then so can they! We are honored to have these special guests from our local community, around the country and internationally come to RTD to invest in our youth. Our heroes include psychologists, beauty queen, entrepreneurs, athletes, military generals and more! Check out the amazing line up we had in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and who is coming in 2019!
2019 HERO ROSTER
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September
In September we are excited to highlight one of our own as this months hero! Rachel McKnight has been an absolute staple at Redeem The Dream for the past three years. She has been consistently committed to loving on our students, and taking on the leadership role for our girls small groups. Beyond that Rachel formats and blasts out our monthly news letter. Her love for our students is genuine and infectious! |
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August
We are in for another treat in August! Justin Campbell is a counselor at New Albany High School where he also heads up the Mentor MII program. Justin played NCAA D1 football at Butler University and is a published author. His book 'Life Between The Lines' teaches students how to become successful God's way! It is a fantastic resource for everyone who is searching for a way to create healthy habits and boundaries in their lives. |
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July
Dave O'Connor is the hero for July! Dave has coached High School Basketball for many years, and in so doing touched the lives of countless student athletes. He has also been very successful in the insurance industry over the course of the last few decades. What makes Dave's story so beautiful is that he came from very humble beginnings, which is yet another testament to the fact that all things are possible for those who believe. And for those who are willing to put in the work to go along with believing the right things. |
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June
Tom Gilbert is our special guest this month! He is one of the pastors at Northside Christian Church here in New Albany. Tom has a great story to tell! He went from being a drug addict to becoming a drug counselor to earning a masters degree and moving into church ministry! All of us will be incredibly enriched by his insight and wisdom. |
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May
We want to celebrate our own heroes as well! With that in mind the plan is to interview one of our leaders every few months for hero night, so our students have the opportunity to get to know them even better! This month it's time to learn from Spencer Ferguson. He is our very amazing and incredibly reliable worship leader at RTD!! He has been serving at Redeem The Dream for about three years! |
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April
This month we have the opportunity to learn from someone how has managed to create an impressive platform for himself on social media in regards to social anxiety. Kyle Mitchel is very passionate about this subject as he himself has struggled with social anxiety quite a bit. However, he has found ways to educate himself on it and overcome what was holding him back. Now Kyle uses his platform on Instagram to help as many people as possible do the same. |
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March
In March we get to welcome a local basketball legend. The Filipino American Noy Castillo grew up in New Albany. He became one of the best athletes to ever come out of this area. After High School he played his college ball at The Citadel (NCAA D1). Noy became the second overall PBA draft pic in 1998. (The PBA is one of the top international leagues in the world in the Philippines) Here he enjoyed a very successful 10 year career. After he retired from professional basketball, Noy founded Brand 40, a sports jersey company. He currently resides in New York, and we are pumped to welcome him at RTD! |
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February
Our first guest for the month of February is Robert Johnstone. Robert is a marine with a very interesting life journey. While he is currently in the reserves, Robert is completing his degree in marketing from the University of Louisville. He is co owner of an up and coming consulting firm, Wayne Consulting. Beyond that Robert is an accomplished martial artist. |
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January
We are kicking off this year with a young, local and very successful entrepreneur, Matt Mays. He has most recently purchased a commercial cleaning company, which has grown tremendously under his leadership. Matt will have some very valuable insight to share with us, especially with those students that dream of owning a business of their own. |
2018 HERO ROSTER
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October
In October we have a very special treat as we will welcome four guests for our 5 year celebration this month! In addition to Ruthie Bolton who has become a part of the RTD family, her brother James (gospel music artist) and the Michael Cochren band, Zach Hodskins is coming! He is the only limb different basketball player to ever play at a major D1 school, the University of Florida. Zach will take on several local High School players in a one on one competition as part of our celebration. Beyond that he has an inspirational message planed for us!. |
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August
For August we are exited to learn from someone who brings a very unique perspective. Conner Chalfant was born into one of the most successful families in our community. He had to learn to develop his own identity apart from them. Connor experienced his share of bullying as a student, and struggled to manage all the exceptions placed on him in regards to what others thought he should be. As a recent graduate of the University of Louisville he is currently active as a substitute teacher here in Floyd County. Conner is pursuing a full time career in youth ministry. It is very apparent to everyone who has ever had a chance to spend some time with him that he has a true gift to introduce students to Jesus, and what it looks like to walk with Him. |
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July
For this month we get to welcome local softball stand out, Katelyn Pavey. She is the first limb different athlete in her sport to ever receive a college scholarship! We are excited to hear her share her journey of overcoming. She has shown the world that she can do things with one arm that most couldn't do with two. |
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June
In June our favorite Olympian is back in town for our girls basketball camp, which means we will have the privilege of learning from Ruthie Bolton's wisdom for the second time in 2018!! Ruthie has been such an incredible blessing to our organization all the way around! We are so thankful for her partnership!! |
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May
We have another special treat for the month of May! Kyle Smith is a professional soccer player with the Louisville City FC. After earning rookie of the year honors three years ago he has established himself as one of Louisville's top players and played a major role in their national championship last season. Kyle has a heart for students and is pursuing God with his life. He is excited to share his journey with our students! |
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April
For the month of April we have the privilege of welcoming one of our board members as our special guest speaker, Shawn Carruthers. In addition to having an extensive business background, Shawn is the elected chair of the Floyd County GOP. He also works along side his wife of 25 years to assist the Prevent Child Abuse Advocacy. We asked him to speak to our students in regards to navigating racial and social discrimination. |
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March
Elmo Rodrigues is here from Germany for the third consecutive year to lead our annual soccer camp! He has a thriving soccer outreach organization based in Germany called Bola Brasil that focuses on working with Syrian refugees there. He has an incredible gift to work with kids. Even way beyond teaching the game of soccer, which he can do with the best of them. Of course Elmo will also serve as our March Hero Nigh Speaker while he is state side. |
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February
Walter Baynard is a local stand out for many reasons. He was voted as one of the top community leaders under the age of 40, starred on New Albany High Schools football team, went on to play college ball at the University of Indianapolis and ran a successful business. Further, Walter was very instrumental with the 'Keep New Albany Green' initiative. He currently holds a position as Senior Relationship Banker at Main Source Bank. We are grateful that he has agreed to be our February Hero Night Speaker this year! |
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January
Ruthie Bolton no longer needs an introduction at Redeem The Dream. The two time Olympic Gold Medalist has blessed us with her presence several times over the past few years. She will be in town this month to be a part of our presentation to a foundation. Naturally Ruthie is going to use this opportunity to address to our students as the first Hero Night Speaker of 2018! |
2017 HERO ROSTER
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January
Jackie Brannon is the founder and president of Business Health Plus, which is a health clinic in Clarksville, Indiana. She is no stranger to immense adversity, as she grew up in the projects where she endured both physical and verbal abuse. Jackie overcame those things by getting a college education and building a very successful health clinic without a medical degree. Recently she lost her 17 year old son in an accident to add to the list of challenges that have come her way. However, by the grace of God Jackie is continuously moving forward and overcoming. Needless to say, she will have incredible insight to share with us! February Brad Spine is a 12 time national champion arm wrestler! He has mastered this very unique sport, which takes him around the country to compete for cash prizes. Brad is a former college wrestler, yet a serious neck injury put an end to that early. He overcame that, and followed in his fathers foot steps by pursuing arm wrestling at a national level. When he is not preparing for his next competition he stays busy as a personal fitness and wrestling trainer. Beyond that Brad is a dedicated husband and father to his son. We are excited to learn from him at RTD! April Milt Wagner has played himself in the hearts of many basketball fans in our Kentucky/ Southern Indiana area by having a major role in the University of Louisville's 1986 NCAA D1 national championship. Not to mention his NBA title along side Magic Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1988 followed by a highly successful and long career over seas. Since then Milt spent several years as an assistant college basketball coach at the division one level. He recently returned to Louisville and is working with one of our amazing partners, Clark and Riggs Printing where he is in charge of creating new business for the company. However, what defines Milt are not his numerous impressive accomplishments, but his relationship with Jesus. He is truly a humble champion. At Redeem The Dream we are very honored to welcome this amazing man as our April Hero Night speaker. June Antonio Grubbs is an active participant in the fight for the marginalized youth in our community. He was raised in Jeffersonville; however, due to his athletic ability he was blessed to have gone to a private High School in Louisville. From there he played division one college basketball at Southwest Missouri State University. Beyond that Antonio had the privilege to play professionally in Greece. Currently he serves as a girls basketball coach and ISS personnel at Clarksville High School. He has a powerful testimony on how God humbled him and got a hold of his life, which he gladly shares with all who are willing to listen. |
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June #2
Our second guest for the month of June is none other than our dear friend and one of the all time greatest female basketball players of all time, Ruthie Bolton! We will have a relaxed evening with the two time Olympic Gold Medalist on Friday the 16th. Come, have some snacks, hang out and enjoy a great interview with her. Ruthie is flying in from Sacramento to share life with us! |
June #3
Our third special guest in the month of June is coming to us from Vancouver, BC (Canada). Jesse Jeffers will be in town for a basketball work out with RTD. He is aspiring to start a career as a professional athlete and Redeem The Dream is helping him with this endeavor. So it only makes sense for him to share his life journey with our youth while he is here. Like all athletes who have come to speak for us, there is so much more to Jesse than basketball. We are excited to welcome him and see how God will use his story to impact our community.
Our third special guest in the month of June is coming to us from Vancouver, BC (Canada). Jesse Jeffers will be in town for a basketball work out with RTD. He is aspiring to start a career as a professional athlete and Redeem The Dream is helping him with this endeavor. So it only makes sense for him to share his life journey with our youth while he is here. Like all athletes who have come to speak for us, there is so much more to Jesse than basketball. We are excited to welcome him and see how God will use his story to impact our community.
July
Elmo Rodrigues is founder of Bola Brasil, which is a soccer school based in Germany. He will be flying in from Europe for the second consecutive year to help us put on a great soccer camp for the kids in our community! He has a huge heart for young people which transcends his language barrier. Elmo speaks Portuguese and German. This was something our kids loved, as they had no problem communicating with him. Beyond leading our soccer camp, Elmo will be our Hero Night speaker for the month of July!
Elmo Rodrigues is founder of Bola Brasil, which is a soccer school based in Germany. He will be flying in from Europe for the second consecutive year to help us put on a great soccer camp for the kids in our community! He has a huge heart for young people which transcends his language barrier. Elmo speaks Portuguese and German. This was something our kids loved, as they had no problem communicating with him. Beyond leading our soccer camp, Elmo will be our Hero Night speaker for the month of July!
October
Jason Faulknor is the founder of an amazing clothing line and positive international social movement, Spread Love. He is also a former NCAA division one and professional basketball player. After his playing days were over he focused on his modeling career, which also took him quite far. One of his favorite experiences include modeling for the Jordan brand. Jason is flying in from his home town of Toronto, Canada to be the special guest speaker at our four year celebration. Here he will also present a Spread Love fashion show that will feature some of our RTD students as the models.
Jason Faulknor is the founder of an amazing clothing line and positive international social movement, Spread Love. He is also a former NCAA division one and professional basketball player. After his playing days were over he focused on his modeling career, which also took him quite far. One of his favorite experiences include modeling for the Jordan brand. Jason is flying in from his home town of Toronto, Canada to be the special guest speaker at our four year celebration. Here he will also present a Spread Love fashion show that will feature some of our RTD students as the models.
November
Justin Endres is a local attorney here in New Albany who is well known for his efforts to improve our community. Beyond his many professional accomplishments, he has founded a track club for elementary students that boasts over 600 participants at this point. He is also leading the way for the new little league complex that is currently being build off of Charlestown road. We are excited to hear from Justin in regards to his life journey and insight we can share especially with those RTD students who dream of becoming an attorney.
Justin Endres is a local attorney here in New Albany who is well known for his efforts to improve our community. Beyond his many professional accomplishments, he has founded a track club for elementary students that boasts over 600 participants at this point. He is also leading the way for the new little league complex that is currently being build off of Charlestown road. We are excited to hear from Justin in regards to his life journey and insight we can share especially with those RTD students who dream of becoming an attorney.
December
We are delighted to end the year on a really high note. Romeo Langford, who has won the hearts of basketball fans around the country, but especially in Southern Indiana will be our special guest this month! He is arguably the best shooting guard in the nation in the class of 2018 and most definitely the best basketball player ever to come out of New Albany. What is most impressive about this incredible athlete en route to the NBA is his humility that he displays on and off the court. His parents have done a fantastic job keeping this young man grounded on his journey to fame. It is truly an honor to welcome him at Redeem The Dream.
We are delighted to end the year on a really high note. Romeo Langford, who has won the hearts of basketball fans around the country, but especially in Southern Indiana will be our special guest this month! He is arguably the best shooting guard in the nation in the class of 2018 and most definitely the best basketball player ever to come out of New Albany. What is most impressive about this incredible athlete en route to the NBA is his humility that he displays on and off the court. His parents have done a fantastic job keeping this young man grounded on his journey to fame. It is truly an honor to welcome him at Redeem The Dream.
2016 HERO ROSTER
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January
Jacob Boger, who was our special guest in June of 2014 is our first hero for 2016. The last time we interviewed him it was regarding his amazing testimony that included miraculous healing from cancer! This time Jacob spoke on faith and business. He is the owner of a great screen printing company, Keen Screen located here in New Albany, Indiana. Further, he is the founding pastor of Generation Church, which is in Louisville. Jacob delivered an incredible message on what it takes to be successful at a career while keeping God in his rightful place. Both youth, and adult leaders learned a lot from him. Please check out his business at www.keenscreen.com! Jacob is a true man of integrity. |
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February
Dr. Gary Almon is the owner of the Kolkin Coffee Company in New Albany, Indiana, which by the way is my favorite coffee shop in the whole world! He has earned his Bachelors degree in Environmental Chemistry, his Masters degree in Hebrew and his Doctorate degree in Ancient Educational Philosophy. Gary has over 30 years of youth ministry experience, 12 years as a seminary professor and currently serves as an elder at Sojourn Church in New Albany. As If all that isn't enough, he also travels the world representing an organization called Youth Ministry International where he is tasked with the challenge of teaching local leaders how to reach youth in their culture! Gary will be the second local business owner to bless us with his wisdom at RTD this year! He will be speaking on his journey and how he ended up starting a coffee shop on February 16th! |
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March
On March 22nd we will welcome our first international guest of 2016! Elmo Rodrigues, a former pro soccer player from Brazil! Elmo and his wife Erika currently live in Germany where Elmo runs a soccer school, which he founded. He is coming all the way from Europe to lead our first RTD soccer camp this spring break!! So it goes without saying that he will also be our special guest at youth night while he is here. Elmo is an incredibly talented and humble man who has accomplished much. As so many of our guests, it is his relationship with Jesus that defines him. It is an honor that he would take such a long trip to share life with us, so lets be sure to give him a warm welcome! |
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April
On April 12th Rachel Searcy will share her journey with us, and with that will be the third local business owner to share at RTD this year. Rachel founded and is operating a massage business. She is married to Preston Searcy who is in charge of the Midtown Cafe ministry of Northside Christian Church in the heart of New Albany. Rachel is also actively involved in that wonderful ministry, which serves many marginalized people in our city. Together they are truly a light in the southern Indiana community! It will be yet another incredibly insightful evening for all of us! |
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May
For the month of May we were able to welcome Justin (left) and Jon (right) Court. Justin owns a horse shoeing business and is also a three time Pan American Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion. His father Jon has been a professional jockey since 1980 and is still going strong! He has ridden in two Kentucky Derbies among many other accomplishments. This dynamic father and son team was a huge hit among our youth. They had an incredible message to share, which was very inspiring. Both took the time to answer many questions from the audience and sign autographs after the event was over. Justin also gave each youth a horse shoe to remember the evening. |
August
On August 9th Derwin Webb will be welcomed as our hero of the month! Derwin had an incredible athletic career that earned him a 2014 induction into the Indiana High School basketball and track hall of fame. He played out a big time college basketball career at the University of Louisville. Once his time as a very decorated student athlete was over, Derwin decided to pursue career as an attorney. This was the time his perseverance was really tested, as he had to take the bar exam three times before finally passing. He is a man of God with a passion to help the right people who got stuck in bad situations. At this point Derwin runs his own successful law firm here in New Albany, Indiana while inspiring many young people to chase their dreams.
On August 9th Derwin Webb will be welcomed as our hero of the month! Derwin had an incredible athletic career that earned him a 2014 induction into the Indiana High School basketball and track hall of fame. He played out a big time college basketball career at the University of Louisville. Once his time as a very decorated student athlete was over, Derwin decided to pursue career as an attorney. This was the time his perseverance was really tested, as he had to take the bar exam three times before finally passing. He is a man of God with a passion to help the right people who got stuck in bad situations. At this point Derwin runs his own successful law firm here in New Albany, Indiana while inspiring many young people to chase their dreams.
September
Darnell 'Super Chef' Ferguson has an absolutely incredible story of overcoming and accomplishing big dreams! He went from being homeless to owning several restaurants and is still in his twenties. He truly embodies what we want our students to understand and believe about themselves. Darnell is living proof that regardless of how bad your current circumstances are, God is bigger. And with His help and a lot of hard work anything is possible. He has been featured on several cooking shows, including Rachel Ray! Even basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal noticed him and gave him a shout out for the way he turned his life around! In order to find out more about his amazing story….come join us on September 14th and experience Super Chef in person!
Darnell 'Super Chef' Ferguson has an absolutely incredible story of overcoming and accomplishing big dreams! He went from being homeless to owning several restaurants and is still in his twenties. He truly embodies what we want our students to understand and believe about themselves. Darnell is living proof that regardless of how bad your current circumstances are, God is bigger. And with His help and a lot of hard work anything is possible. He has been featured on several cooking shows, including Rachel Ray! Even basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal noticed him and gave him a shout out for the way he turned his life around! In order to find out more about his amazing story….come join us on September 14th and experience Super Chef in person!
October
Anthony Flynn is our special guest for October! He will be our featured speaker at our Redeem The Dream 3 year celebration on 10/14/16!! Don't miss this powerful communicator as he will be sure to inspire and challenge all of us with his message on discipline and execution. Anthony has overcome much adversity through out his life, yet he overcame and accomplished much in terms of formal education, practical business success as well as a thriving marriage of 16 years and counting. He is the founder and CEO of the Gifted Education Foundation out of Atlanta, Georgia. The mission of this organization is to create market place leaders out of low income areas in America.
Anthony Flynn is our special guest for October! He will be our featured speaker at our Redeem The Dream 3 year celebration on 10/14/16!! Don't miss this powerful communicator as he will be sure to inspire and challenge all of us with his message on discipline and execution. Anthony has overcome much adversity through out his life, yet he overcame and accomplished much in terms of formal education, practical business success as well as a thriving marriage of 16 years and counting. He is the founder and CEO of the Gifted Education Foundation out of Atlanta, Georgia. The mission of this organization is to create market place leaders out of low income areas in America.
November
Jason Reynolds, founder of Purpme, an incredible organization out of Louisville, Kentucky,will be our November hero. A video of one of their teens giving shoes to a homeless man went viral. This caught the attention of CNN and the the TD Jakes tv show, which caused Purpme to make some serious waves on a national level. Purp stands for people uplifting real people, and Jason's heart exemplifies that mission. He has had a powerful story to teal in regards to how he finally found his lane in life! Join us on 11/16/16 for this event!
Jason Reynolds, founder of Purpme, an incredible organization out of Louisville, Kentucky,will be our November hero. A video of one of their teens giving shoes to a homeless man went viral. This caught the attention of CNN and the the TD Jakes tv show, which caused Purpme to make some serious waves on a national level. Purp stands for people uplifting real people, and Jason's heart exemplifies that mission. He has had a powerful story to teal in regards to how he finally found his lane in life! Join us on 11/16/16 for this event!
December
We will finish 2016 with a very special guest, Lovie Ray Johnson Jr. Before mentioning his professional accomplishments, which are impressive I would like to direct attention to how I have experienced him as a friend and big brother in my life. We met in 2005 in Denver, CO when I was getting ready to quit on my dream of continuing to play basketball after a serious injury seemed to have cut my professional career short. He personally trained and encouraged me to keep going in the midst of a struggle to make ends meat. I spent thanksgiving and Christmas with him that year as he routinely emptied out his pantry to share his food with me. It's because of his investment in me that I had the opportunity to play one more time in Canada during the fall of 2007.
Lovie is a former college basketball All American after which he played professionally in England. For well over a decade now he has been successful as an actor,model, film maker and screen writer. He is currently working on an project called "The Blackest Yellow", a faith based paranormal action thriller, which brings light to the reality of spiritual warfare. This project is being reviewed by several potential investors and has the potential to become the next big faith based film such as War Room or Fire Proof! He further has a passion to fight child abuse and sex trafficking. Lovie is coming to us all the way from Los Angeles, California. Experience him in person at RTD as our featured hero in December on 12/07/16!
We will finish 2016 with a very special guest, Lovie Ray Johnson Jr. Before mentioning his professional accomplishments, which are impressive I would like to direct attention to how I have experienced him as a friend and big brother in my life. We met in 2005 in Denver, CO when I was getting ready to quit on my dream of continuing to play basketball after a serious injury seemed to have cut my professional career short. He personally trained and encouraged me to keep going in the midst of a struggle to make ends meat. I spent thanksgiving and Christmas with him that year as he routinely emptied out his pantry to share his food with me. It's because of his investment in me that I had the opportunity to play one more time in Canada during the fall of 2007.
Lovie is a former college basketball All American after which he played professionally in England. For well over a decade now he has been successful as an actor,model, film maker and screen writer. He is currently working on an project called "The Blackest Yellow", a faith based paranormal action thriller, which brings light to the reality of spiritual warfare. This project is being reviewed by several potential investors and has the potential to become the next big faith based film such as War Room or Fire Proof! He further has a passion to fight child abuse and sex trafficking. Lovie is coming to us all the way from Los Angeles, California. Experience him in person at RTD as our featured hero in December on 12/07/16!
2015 HERO ROSTER
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January
Randy Jones will be our second special guest this January! Randy is a Louisville metro police officer who performs his job with a high level of integrity. Beyond that he is also a professional mixed martial arts fighter. In light of all the controversy surrounding police in regards to current events, Randy will definitely set a very positive example for our youth of what most police officers stand for. It will be our privilege to welcome this man who wears a uniform everyday to keep his community safe. |
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January part #2
Randy Jones will be our second special guest this January! Randy is a Louisville metro police officer who performs his job with a high level of integrity. Beyond that he is also a professional mixed martial arts fighter. In light of all the controversy surrounding police in regards to current events, Randy will definitely set a very positive example for our youth of what most police officers stand for. It will be our privilege to welcome this man who wears a uniform everyday to keep his community safe. |
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February
Jeremy Kendle has had an impressive basketball career, which is continuously reaching new heights. He played his high school ball at Jeffersonville High followed by a stellar time at Bellarmine University where he was a major contributor on the 2011 NCAA D2 national championship team. His performance at Bellarmine also earned him first team All American honors. Since then he has played professionally in Switzerland and Morocco where he also lead his team to a championship. In March he will take on his next assignment as a pro player in Australia. However, what stands out the most with Jeremy is his humility and awe for Jesus. He has an incredible testimony on how God is working in and through his life. We are so thrilled to welcome him as our special guest and 'hero' for this month! |
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February #2
Brigid Morrissey is known as a local stand out basketball player. At only 5'4 she beat the odds by earning a full ride scholarship to NCAA division one school, Furman University. After the 2013/14 season, Brigid successfully completed her college basketball career, while earning her degree. For the time being, she has moved back to Southern Indiana, where she is helping out the girls basketball program at New Albany High school. This coming fall she plans to move to Denver, Colorado to start her masters degree program. Until then she is working two jobs, to take care of her responsibilities. Brigid will have valuable insight to share in regards to work ethic, finding identity, faith, dealing with injuries and much more! |
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March
Gary Clark and Robert Riggs are two friends from humble childhoods who met at Bellarmine University. After working their way through college and graduating, they both experienced professional success while working in different companies. Twenty-two years ago these two friends decided they would take what they had in savings, experience and work ethic and start their own company with just two other team members. These two hard-working, passionate and devoted owners find their greatest strengths in listening and being grateful. They have grown a dynamic company organically and through acquisition in an industry that is considered stagnant by many experts. By expanding their expertise and capabilities through thoughtful acquisitions, they have increased their company’s capabilities, footprint and bench-strength while keeping the business viable. Today, Clark & Rigg’s Printing Company is a 22-year-old mid-sized, regional Print Management and Fulfillment Company with a national customer base that provides many innovative solutions such as Customized Print-On-Demand Programs, Direct Mail Campaigns, Online Ordering Site & Product Management, Rapid Prototyping, Large Format Signage, Point of Purchase Products, Store Décor and Fixtures for Retail Environments and Brand Promotions. |
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May
Linda Damerau will be our first international guest at Redeem The Dream! Coming to us from Germany, this professional volleyball player will partner with us in making an impact on the youth in our community. She has an incredible story to share with us in regards to her journey as a person and an athlete. One of many reasons this is so special is that there are no pro volleyball leagues in the US, yet there are many young people who enjoy playing this sport and would love the opportunity to keep playing beyond college. As with most of our guests, what really defines Linda is her relationship with Jesus Christ. So whether you are into volleyball or not this interview will be very insightful and entertaining. While Linda is here she will also run two free volleyball clinics with us at Hazelwood as well as at Scribner Middle School. We are so appreciative of her taking such a long journey in order to serve, encourage and inspire our youth! |
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November
For our two year celebration in November we will have a very special treat!! Ruthie Bolton, two time Olympic gold medalist, WNBA champion, and world champion in women's basketball is coming to us from Sacramento, California. She has an incredible story to share with our teens that will surely inspire all of us to keep believing in the dreams God has placed in our hearts! She will bring her gold medals for us to see and take pictures with! Ruthie has a huge passion for the Lord and is an incredibly personable communicator! |
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November
For our two year celebration in November we will have a very special treat!! Ruthie Bolton, two time Olympic gold medalist, WNBA champion, and world champion in women's basketball is coming to us from Sacramento, California. She has an incredible story to share with our teens that will surely inspire all of us to keep believing in the dreams God has placed in our hearts! She will bring her gold medals for us to see and take pictures with! Ruthie has a huge passion for the Lord and is an incredibly personable communicator! |
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December
Our last hero night guest of 2015 will be none other than our newly elected Floyd County Sheriff, Frank Loop! He has a huge amount of experience in law enforcement, and has faithfully served our community in that capacity since 1982. So it goes without saying that he has most definitely earned the opportunity to be Sheriff. Thankfully, voters agreed! At Redeem The Dream we are very intentional about honoring the men women in uniform who perform their duties with integrity and honor. It will be a true blessing to welcome Sheriff Loop at RTD on Tuesday, December 8th! |
2014 HERO ROSTER
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January
Dr. Kevin Chapman, Clinical Psychologist |
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February
Ashley Danielle Miller, Nurse Practitioner & Ms. Kentucky. She is also working on her PhD in nursing and running for senate!! |
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March
Phil Meeks, Cancer survivor and advocate for 'Be The Match', an organization that seeks out people who are willing to donate stem cells. And by doing so are sure to save someone's life! Phil has an amazing story of how God took a hold of his life by allowing him to overcome cancer. |
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April
Herman Johnson, Amazing family man, successful entrepreneur and former stand out college basketball player (Herman lives in Sacramento, California, and is flying in to share his journey with us!) |
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May
Tim Lewis, Founder of Crossover Athletics, LLC., Christian speaker & former stand out college & post college basketball player (Tim lives in Morganton, North Carolina, and is flying in to share his journey with us!) |
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June
Jacob Boger, Business owner & chaplain at a juvenile detention center. Jacob has an extraordinary story to share of how the Lord healed him from a brain tumor!! He is living proof that God still performs miracles today!! As a matter of fact his testimony of miraculous healing is so amazing that it captured the eye of national media. This opened countless doors for Jacob to tell his story on tv! So that being said, we are pumped to have him make the time to share this with us in person!! |
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July
Jesse Cottonham, Retired executive leader at PG&E, a large electric company in California. He is one of the wisest men alive, and has a huge heart for youth. That's why everyone calls him "uncle Jesse" (Uncle Jesse lives in San Francisco, California, and is flying in to share his journey with us!) |
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August
Scott Lafferty, former Division 1 and professional tennis player, now works as a computer programer. Beyond that, he serves at the YMCA as a wellness coach. What makes this man so unique, is his story. Scott suffered an initially career ending injury, that changed the way he walks. However, his spirit and courage are stronger than ever. He is confident that he will eventually regain his mobility, and get back on the court. |
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September
Vitalis Lanshima, currently working as a Middle school teacher and running for County Clerk in Jefferson County. Vitalis has an amazing story that started in a small African village, and eventually led him to Louisville. Due to a terrible accident as a 12 year old, Vitalis was electrocuted. This meant both of his arms had to be amputated, in order to save his life. Instead of giving up, he worked hard to achieve excellence as a Paralympic athlete. Vitalis set two world records during the 2000 games in Australia. Consequently, he became the first international Paralympic athlete to ever be recruited for a track scholarship by any university from the United States. |
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October
Retired General Michael Dornbush was the Director of Joint Staff for the Kentucky National Guard. Here he was responsible for 8,500 Army and Air Guardsmen. Through out his career he served our country with 13 different assignments. General Dornbush has won many awards during those years including the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal and a Lifetime Achievement Award. We are honored to have him as our special guest, so we may benefit from his wisdom and vast leadership experience. |
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November
For our one year celebration we will bring back our May guest, Tim Lewis! He is a great communicator who has a special ability to connect with people on a personal level. Beyond being an assistant college basketball coach, Tim travels the world on a regular basis to put on basketball camps for kids to encourage them in their journeys. Tim has an intriguing personal testimony of how God redeemed his life and allowed him to go from being locked up in a jail cell to graduating from college and working with US ambassadors on the other side of the world! |
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December
Rodney Flowers suffered a football injury to his spinal cord as a High School athlete in 1993. This turned him into a quadrapligic with a 91% chance of staying that way the rest of his life. He spent the following 18 years in a wheel chair, with people in his ear saying he would never walk again. Instead of giving up, Rodney not only finished High School but earned both a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Business Administration. He has served the Department of Defense for 14 years and is currently a contracting officer for NAVAIR. Among other things, Rodney owns a real estate company and loves to inspire people to overcome. He will be flying in from Maryland to share his journey with us. |