2007 Hero of the Year: Meet the Winner

"The Dad" is 2007 Hero of the Year.

We received a record number of votes this year and, in the end, our winner was clear.

Kevin Bardsley, known simply as The Dad, is the 2007 Hero of the Year. His heroism began by accident, when his 12-year-old son, Garrett, went missing during a Boy Scout camping trip in Utah's Uinta Mountains. Garrett's body was never found. Determined not to let another family experience such terrible pain, Kevin Bardsley set up a foundation in his son's name, bought GPS tracking equipment and trained a small army of volunteers to be ready to search in minutes. When another boy was lost, he led the rescue effort. We will honor Bardsley at a special ceremony later this year.

From Reader's Digest - April 2007

 

• Heroes
• • Hero of the Year
• • Inspiring Stories
• • Amazing People
• • Hero Pets
• • Action Stories

• Buddy System: Kevin Bardsley's Story
• His son went missing in these woods. Maybe he could help find another lost boy.
• 

“ If your washer develops a musty odor, run the machine through a wash cycle without any clothes in it. Use the hottest temperature setting available, a medium or high water level and add 2 cups of bleach. ”

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• Be Inspired
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• Quiz: Match the Celebrity With the Cause

Flashlights used by my National Guard unit can withstand almost anything. And to prove it, they come with a lifetime warranty. Nevertheless, nothing is indestructible, which is why the warranty also cautions, "Void with shark bites, bear attacks and children under the age of five."

-- Carmen Hill