Real heroes come without capes, costumes or superhuman powers.
They are all around us, ready to spring into action when least expected.
In the last couple years, they appeared in the form of a Roger Dean who saved his brother from a burning
cabin on a hunting trip. His brother suffered burns to more than 60 percent of his body, but survived.

Or a registered nurse, Linda Shaw, who stopped as she was running a 5K to perform CPR chest compressions
on a fellow runner who collapsed near the finish line. The next year, Shaw ran the same race with the
woman she helped save.
Then there’s the mail carrier in Bowling Green, Chad Kleman, who was delivering mail on his route when he
discovered one of his regular customers being crushed underneath the pickup he was repairing. Kleman
used a broken jack and pulled the man to safety.
These type of local heroes are being sought for the annual Black Swamp Humanitarian Awards. Each year,
the awards recognize seemingly ordinary people for performing extraordinary acts of heroism.
Sometimes it’s a small act that has a huge impact. Such was the case of two Eastwood High School
students, Christine Russell and McKayla Phillips, who were on their way home from a basketball game when
they noticed flames coming out of a home’s chimney. The girls turned around and warned the resident, who
then called the fire department.
And some heroes come in small packages — such as the boy in Perrysburg Township, Logan TenEyck, who
noticed an unattended child fall into the deep end of a swimming pool. The boy jumped in, retrieved the
toddler from the bottom and took him to the edge.
And sometimes it’s an emergency responder who is accustomed to saving lives, but who goes beyond the call
of duty.
Some heroic actions don’t have the desired results — but that doesn’t mean those who try aren’t heroes.
Those who stop to care for accident victims are to be admired, despite the victim’s outcome.
So if you know any of these uncaped, unmasked super heroes, you are asked to nominate them for the annual
Black Swamp Humanitarian Awards.
Anyone may nominate an individual who lives in, or performed an action in, Wood County, in recognition of
acts which occurred from Sept. 1, 2014, through July 31, 2015.
The awards include:
•    Good Samaritan — For outstanding service to an unknown victim, being at no risk to their own life
(for example, giving CPR to a heart attack victim, aiding people in an auto accident).
•    Life Risk — For risking one’s life to help another.
•    Beyond the Call of Duty — For a firefighter, police officer or emergency medical technician who goes
beyond the call of duty in helping a person.
•    Service to Others — For outstanding service to another human being by providing out-of-the-ordinary
assistance.
In nominating individuals, provide their name, address, phone number, the location and date of the
incident, and the people that were assisted. Provide a description of the incident, including names and
telephone numbers of witnesses, as well as the nominating person’s name and phone number.
The deadline for nominations is Aug. 15.
They can be sent to Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn, 1960 E. Gypsy Lane Road, Bowling Green, Ohio
43402; or email [email protected] or Jessica Miller-Blakely at [email protected].
Those selected will be honored during a dinner this fall.