The organization no longer has a need for them and HERO has no other outlet for the empty bottles. However, they are recyclable in some areas. Please check with your local recycling center for rules and regulations on plastic donations.

We thank you for all the dedication over the years and hope we can continue our partnership in other ways. To learn what we can accept as healthcare supplies and medical equipment donations, please click here.

Thanks again,

Georgia Dufault
Operations Manager

Theme: Turn your world red

• Turned our logo into a red heart/world
• Animated the logo for introductions to all Giving Hearts Day videos (total of 3 videos)
• Partnered with FirstLink where they incorporated HERO in their videos (total of 2 videos mentioning HERO)
• Changed our Facebook cover photo & twitter header photo
• On Giving Hearts Day, our website had a brand new home page and turned red (similar to the red home page of Impact Foundation)
• We had two teams of volunteers, one team promoted HERO by wearing Giving Hearts Day HERO t-shirts and handing out candy with information about GHD and HERO on them at Concordia College.  The other team partnered with 7 Day Clinic and had donation station locations along with promoted giving within 7 Day Clinic employees.
• 21 Facebook posts from January 8-Feburary 15
• 36 Tweets from January 15-Feburary 15
• Also posted on pinterest, Google +, LinkedIn, & YouTube
• 8 e-mails with information (reminders, videos, photos, etc…) about Giving Hearts Day
• Mailed hand-crocheted hearts (made by a board member) to select donors from last Giving Hearts Day with a reminder about this year.
• Mailed reminders, newsletters, and thank yous to donors.
• Had staff, board members, and committee members call donors to thank them for their gift.
• We also had radio ads for the first time ever thanks to a generous and caring donor!

In order to make all of this possible, we had help from a number of dedicated and talented volunteers. Special thanks to Tony, our media volunteer for recreating our logo and animating it for video! Thanks to the volunteer leaders: Steph and Casey, who brought together new volunteers to help spread the word. To our Board & Committee for all you did to promote Giving Hearts Day and secure donations. To our donor who gave to support radio ads.

We want to thank Dakota Medical Foundation and Impact Foundation for the idea that sparked Giving Hearts Day, for including HERO, and for honoring our volunteers who gave so much to make our Giving Hearts Day successful.

Last year, at the 8th Annual HERO Bash, HERO raised $23,000.

This year, we raised $42,000!

We couldn’t have done it without the support and time of so many. This will help cover the cost of our domestic and global programs of providing healthcare supplies at low and no cost for those in need.

Thank you to everyone who made the 9th Annual HERO Bash possible: our sponsors, silent auction donors, in-kind donors, Board & committee members, volunteers & intern, and all those who attended! What a night we had.

This year, Ty Hegland, our new Executive Director stepped in when our emcee was unable to attend at the beginning. He did a great job!

Click on the + sign to read more about the Awards, Speakers, and Photos!

Stay connected

Now that the Bash is over, we don’t want to lose touch with you. There are so many ways to stay connected!

• Subscribe to our e-newsletter or snail mail
• Take a tour of our warehouse and store (call 701-212-1921 or e-mail Ty!)
• Become a monthly donor. Just $22.46/month will help twelve individuals each year. (call 701-212-1921 or e-mail Paulette!)
• Volunteer
• Donate supplies

Kurt & Linda recently went on a mission trip to Congo. When they returned home, they shared their story and photos with us. Here is a brief version of their story:

Two surgeons and an anesthesiologist took off in a plane in a dark

And glistening sky.

They landed intact in a lush green land gathering equipment

And supplies.

Flying over packed red earth roads, bumping along took them

Farther and farther abroad.

And coming to stop at a clearing serene, the end of the road

Opened up……

And thus began ten full, rich days of service!  The structure of the visit to Congo involved “finding out”, building resources, teaching and doing.

First “finding out” answered what equipment and supplies were available in providing surgery and anesthesia services, as well as assessing the level of competence of OR personnel.  We found varying levels of training and competence, lack of consistent running water and electricity, disposable OR gowns and drapes in poor repair re-used many times, low stock of suture, absent gauze and lap pads, no eye protection in use, questionable skin prep solution.  There were simple “fixes” to some problems such as provision of a 9v battery fixed the oxygen concentrator and simple teaching on scrubbing and OR gowning and skin prep will result in better post op infection rates.

How thankful we were to HERO, Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, Americares and MAP for donated supplies.  The surgical instruments,  suture, guaze, OR drapes, spinal anesthetic and needles and medication were much appreciated.  Americares  donation of an electrocautery unit was so helpful to the work of the week.

Resource building and teaching involved improving library resources.  Each hospital received a WHO (World Health Organization) book “Surgcial Care in the District Hospital” in French.  Lectures were given from this material with help from Bing and Google tranlate!

Teaching also involved clinic consultations and “hands-on” training in the operating room. A skills lab using thread, socks and shoelaces provided a fun course on the basics of knot tying, wound closure, bowel anastomoses and colostomy creation.

Kurt & Linda’s impressions:

• Impressed by the dedication and skills of the administrator of the medical work, Dr. Lingili.
• Lack of resources.
• Profound depth of spiritual teaching in the church and hospital chapel.
• Level of poverty in the area and the challenges that people face in meeting basic necessities.
• Desire of children to go to school and complete their education.
• Impressed by the gentle strength of the new president of the Covenant Church of Congo, President Mboka.

In the past, Tarry, his girlfriend, Nancy, and Trevon came to HERO for supplies. During their most recent trip to HERO, they found something that could help Trevon build strength in his legs and regain balance: an easy stand.

This medical device is not just a piece of equipment, but a chance for Trevon to regain something that was taken from him, his ability to stand and walk. It’s the beginning of a dream becoming a possibility.

I invite you to come to our 9^th Annual HERO Bash, April 26 to hear more about their story and how HERO is making a difference in their lives.

It’s because of support of people like you we’re able to continue to help families like Tarry, Nancy, and Trevon.

Your contribution to HERO will help many others in need of healthcare materials.

Please donate now and help dreams become a possibility for others like Trevon. 

Thank you for being a hero,

Ty Hegland

Executive Director

Donate Now to Help Trevon and Kids Like Him

P.S.  Join us at the 9^th Annual HERO Bash, April 26 to hear more of Trevon’s story.

For seven years, I’ve been a non-profit executive in the Fargo-Moorhead Region.  During this period, I’ve been able to watch the progress of HERO and have been thoroughly impressed by its mission, staff, and dedicated volunteers.

Combined with its reach on both a local and global scale, I believe HERO has positioned itself to be a driving force in both the non-profit health care and environmental sectors, and as the Executive Director I hope to build upon the progress that has been made in recent years.   I am excited to begin this new role and look forward to getting to know all of you.

-Ty

More about Ty

Favorite Birthday Treat

Tutti Frutti

Favorite Color

Green

Strengths

Will power, curiosity, adaptability, prior experience (life & professional), & interpersonal skills.

School Experience

• MBA – University of Mary
• B.S. Psychology – NDSU
• “M.R. – Masters of Ranching” – Hegland Ranch

Hobbies & Interests

• Triathlon
• Freelance writing
• Reading
• Fly fishing

Most memorable vacation

Any vacation involving Hadley, my daughter, and mountains.

Ty has also joined the GoFarCharity HERO Team! Run for a reason and join the team.

spring cleaning is just around the corner and we want you to be prepared.

As you probably know, HERO accepts donations of healthcare supplies and medical equipment and redistributes them to people in need both here in our community and to medical mission teams that travel all over the world.

If you’re questioning whether or not we’ll accept your old CPAP, shower chair, lift chair, etc… take a look at our handy handouts of what we can and cannot accept.

As always, if you still aren’t sure, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 701-212-1921.

With your help, we can sure we’re able to keep as much usable supplies out of our landfill and into the hands of those who need them most.

In 2011, I began working at HERO. I hadn’t heard about the organization until then, but instantly fell in love with the mission: helping people in the community and around the world through recycling. It couldn’t get any better.

I’m lucky enough to see first hand, every day, how we help. Talking with the people we serve, watching videos of mission trips when they return, and seeing our warehouse fill up with supplies is incredible. I not only work for HERO, I believe in HERO.

That’s why I chose to run my first 5K. I wanted to push myself and spread awareness about this awesome organization. I made a silly video to share with my friends and family about why I was running and asked them to support me in raising awareness and funds for my organization.

It was a lot of fun, being a part of the GoFarCharity HERO Team. GoFarCharity is a group of non-profits that come together with runners for the Fargo Marathon races. It’s a group of all ages and running/walking levels that come together because of their determination and support for local charities.

I pushed myself, finished the race, and did it for a reason. I ran for HERO.

The great thing is, if you don’t want to run, you can still walk for HERO too!

-Margot

If you’re interested in being a part of the 2013 GoFarCharity HERO team, just click here.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me at 701-212-1921 or e-mail margot@HEROFargo.org.

Every parent has dreams for their kids: to be the star football player, earn good grades, to be happy.

When Trevon was just eighteen months old, he and his dad, Tarry, were in a horrific car accident. Their lives were changed forever that day.

Trevon was rushed to a hospital in downtown Seattle. His brain swelled and he had a nine percent chance of living. The diagnosis was grim.

He spent a month in the hospital after the accident and had three major surgeries. In August of 2012, he had his last surgery to realign his left hip.

Tarry explained it best, “Trevon was walking, running, moving quite a bit, and starting to form words when he was eighteen months old, the accident happened and his development ended at that point.” The one thing that hasn’t changed is his personality; he enjoys music, swimming, animals, and loves getting people’s attention.

Three years ago, Tarry moved to Fargo, ND. He met his girlfriend, Nancy, and found out about HERO from her. They have used HERO services to purchase wrist braces, diapers, a wheelchair, and most recently, an “Easy Stand”.

They come to HERO not only because items are much less costly than retail stores, but because of the mission: taking usable supplies that would have ended up in a landfill and giving them to people who can still use them.

When they came to HERO to share their story for this newsletter, they saw the Easy Stand at the front of the store. It fit Trevon perfectly and was the first time since 2009 that he’s stood by himself. Tarry’s dream for his son is that he’ll be able to walk again. The Easy Stand is the beginning of that dream!

4 ways how you can assure HERO can continue helping kids like Trevon:

• Make a monetary donation or donate healthcare supplies
• Attend our HERO Bash and invite your friends
• Run for HERO at the Fargo Marathon: Raise awareness and funds
• Tell a friend about Trevon’s story and what HERO does for your community

HERO takes in donations of usable healthcare supplies and medical equipment from local hospitals and agencies along with people who have extra materials from their friends, family, or themselves. These supplies are given to others who are able to use them.

Last year, we raised a little over $20,000 with the $4,000 match. This year, our goal was to raise $24,000 (with the $4,000 match).

The official totals have yet to be announced, but from what we have- our unofficial total for the 2013 Giving Hearts Day for HERO is: $20,457.40 once we receive the match it will be $24,457.40!

The Board, staff, and volunteers thank all those who gave yesterday. We are so excited to have met the goal and are more excited about how those funds will make a difference in the lives of the people we serve.

Thank you for your giving heart.