Let's Soar Together Founder to be Honored at Heroes of the Heartland Event

The American Red Cross will hold its 11th annual Heroes of the Heartland breakfast on Friday, April 12, the Des Moines Register reports, and the honorees include a woman who has worked to help children with special needs in the Waukee school district.

Honorees whose stories will be shared at the program include Ann Thomas.

She and four friends started Let’s Soar Together, an organization that has donated dozens of iPads and iPods for children with behavioral disorders and autism in the Waukee school district, built adaptive swings for Maple Grove Elementary School and donated $1,200 to the Waukee YMCA to install a chair in the swimming pool, the newspaper said.

Eleven years ago, the American Red Cross set out to develop an annual event to honor Iowans who have performed a heroic act, according to the charity's website. Heroes of the Heartland not only recognizes those people, but also raises money used by the American Red Cross to help people with food, shelter and comfort during emergencies.

This year’s honorees will be celebrated at the Heroes of the Heartland breakfast from 7 to 9 a.m. April 12 at the Hy-Vee Conference Center in West Des Moines.

Reservations are needed to attend the breakfast and today is the last day to do so; contact Kara Kelly at kara.kelly@redcross.org or 664-6326.