Heroes Way board members volunteered time Saturday and Sunday this weekend to help a local soldier in need.  Project Semper Fi is about the local community coming together to help the life of a Scott City, MO Marine that has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.  The community has come together in amazing ways to ease the worries of this marine and his family.

See the video produced by Jason Wray to learn more about the story.

http://youtu.be/7tcEvJV1ZVU

Heroes Way board members helped with the home make over taking place over the course of 4 days.  We were moved by this soldier's story so we had to get involved.  In the process, we witnessed God working through all the people involved. 

Today was the final day of the makeover and the reveal took place this evening.  There was a gathering of over 250 people to welcome Matt Johnston and his family.  Will post press releases and additional information as further releases are made available Thank you, Project Semper Fi, for showing us just just how much good there is in the people of this community. 

MoDOT Southeast District News Release

July 22, 2011

Ceremony Planned for Heroes Way Memorial Sign Dedication

SSG Michael L Deason To Be Honored

SIKESTON - A dedication ceremony honoring Staff Sgt. Michael L. Deason is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 3, at 4:30 p.m. at the Desloge City Park located at Parkside and Walnut Streets in Desloge, Mo.

Staff Sgt. Michael L. Deason, of the 3^rd Battalion, 320^th Field Artillery Regiment, 3^rd Brigade, 101^st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell, Ky., was killed on Aug. 31, 2006, in Ad War, Iraq.

The Heroes Way Interstate Interchange Program legislation, passed in 2009, allows interstate interchanges to be designated for Missouri residents, who were in the armed forces, and were killed in action on or after Sept. 11, 2001, in either Afghanistan or Iraq. In 2011, Representative Linda Black sponsored legislation, which expands the original law to include state numbered highways.  Signed by Governor Jay Nixon, the law will become effective on Aug. 28. 

Deason will be the first soldier honored under the new law, naming the interchange at US 67 at Desloge Drive in Desloge, Mo., the SSG Michael L. Deason interchange.

The public is invited to attend the event.

For more information on the dedication ceremony, please contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636).

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HEROES WAY LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE TO HONOR FALLEN SOLDIERS
Non-profit organization prepares new website for increased site traffic, online donations, and more resources for families of fallen soldiers.

Gordonville, MO – Today, Heroes Way, a Missouri-based non-profit organization devoted to erecting highway memorial signs honoring soldiers lost in combat during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, launched a new website, www.heroesway.org. 

“With the overwhelming support and recognition Heroes Way continues to receive, we needed to adjust our online presence to better serve those that want to help our organization honor the sacrifice of the soldiers who lost their lives in combat,” said Ross Gartman, President of Heroes Way. 

The new site includes extensive information on the Heroes Way Interstate Interchange Designation Program, which allows for friends and family of the fallen to erect a highway memorial sign in their local community. Additionally, the site includes frequent blog updates, biographies on fallen soldiers, resources for families of the fallen, and the ability to accept online donations. 

The site was built using the latest Nation Builder platform and integrates with common social media services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. 

Gartman said he and the Heroes Way board members hope this integration will enable site visitors to spread the word about Heroes Way. “Our long-term goal is to continue to expand Heroes Way and get more communities involved in our efforts to honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom,” said Gartman. “I encourage everyone to visit our new site, share it with others using the social media links, and if able, make an online contribution.” 

For more information and to learn how to get involved, please visit www.heroesway.org.

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Welcome to the new and improved online home for Heroes Way, and thanks for visiting. We hope the new site will help you learn more about Heroes Way, and spread the word to others.

When my friend Brad died in 2008, I sought a way to honor his sacrifice, and that of other fallen soldiers from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

There are elaborate memorials in our nation and state capitols for the many wars that America's heroes have fought in, but friends and family of the fallen don't always get the opportunity to visit. My goal was to establish a way to honor these individuals at home, in their local communities where they served as husbands and fathers, wives and mothers, neighbors and friends. Heroes Way was established to honor the sacrifice at the local level, serving as a daily reminder of those that paid the ultimate price for our freedom. 

I hope you will get involved in our efforts to honor a soldier in your community, or make a donation to help Heroes Way expand our efforts to honor every soldier killed in combat since September 11, 2001. 

Once again, thanks for visiting, and as Brad would say, "I'll see ya, when I see ya." 

Hoorah,

Ross Gartman
President, Heroes Way