The American Red Cross’ Nebraska/Southwest Iowa Region “Heroes in the Heartland Awards Luncheon” scheduled to take place March 13^th at the Embassy Suites in La Vista, NE., will honor individuals from Southwest Iowa and the Omaha metro who have saved another person’s life during the past year or who have positively impacted the quality of life in the Heartland in other ways. Among the honoree’s is a father and son who put the safety of others first, when they warned the Fremont County town of Thurman about an approaching tornado in April, 2012.

Rod Umphreys and his 16-year old son Mason, will receive an award and recognition. Mason alerted his father, the Mayor of Thurman, about the EF-2 twister, which packed winds of up to 125-miles per hour. Moments later, the mayor scrambled from his home to the fire station, where he sounded the tornado sirens that alerted the community. About 90-percent of the buildings in town were destroyed or sustained damage, but there were no reported fatalities and only a few, minor injuries.

The “Hereos in Heartland event, which is held each year on the second Wednesday in March, originates from the Red Cross’ belief that qualities of bravery, commitment, dedication and selfless behavior should be recognized and honored.

For more information, surf to: http://www.redcross.org/news/event/Heroes-in-the-Heartland