Personal Struggles Give This Hero Strength

(April 27, 2012) - This week's Billy Johnson Community Hero has an incredible story of strength and recovery that has helped many people overcome obstacles they thought were impossible.  Anna Wakeland works at the Westcare Emergency Homeless Shelter in Pikeville, helping people get back on their feet.  And, she uses her own personal experiences in life to inspire others.  She says her story began a few years ago when she was working in a doctor's office and became addicted to prescription medication.  "Needless to say, I had a battle with addiction.  I stole from the doctor," explained Wakeland.  "I'm not proud of that now, and I wasn't proud of it then.  But, that's my story.  I spent 28 months in jail and six months home incarceration."
     And, while she served her time in jail, Wakeland says she started attending classes offered through Westcare.  And, even though she started out just going through the motions, things began to change for her.  "So, finally I started paying attention and doing the things I was supposed to be doing.  I participated like I was supposed to, and things just started to turn around for me."
     She now works at the Emergency Homeless Shelter in Pikeville, helping people get back many of the things they have lost.  Anna knows all about having to work hard to get back on your feet, and she shares her story with anyone who is willing to listen.  "I kind of tell them my story.  I say, 'Listen.  I know you are here on the worst day of your life.  I've been there.'  And, I use my story to help them," explained Wakeland.
     Knowing all too well the powerful grip that drug addiction can have on someone's life, Anna says she feels led to reach out to others.  In fact, she says she is always available to talk to anyone who is facing addiction...NOT just those people staying at the homeless shelter.  "You can call me.  I'll help you," she said.  "I'll help you get into Westcare.  I'll help you get into a treatment facility that will help you.  You have to change your people, places and things.  Your whole life will have to turn around.  You have to work for what you get in life."
     Congratulations, Anna Wakeland, this week's Billy Johnson Community Hero!

Hillbilly Hero

(April 20, 2012) - This week's Billy Johnson Community Hero and Hillbilly Days go hand in hand. And nobody should be surprised to hear that Jimmy Kinney is the Hero chosen this week. For those who do not know, Jimmy's father, "Shady" Grady Kinney is one of the original founders of Hillbilly Days, which started back in 1977. And, although Jimmy has been involved with Hillbilly Days since the beginning, that is not what has made him this week's Billy Johnson Community Hero. He is being recognized for Hillbilly Christmas in July, an annual event he and the late Randy Jones started just a few years ago.

"Randy Jones and I got together and wanted to do a ride for the Lexington Shriner's Hospital because they happen to run out of toys during the middle of the year," explained Kinney. "We had been taking toys down for Christmas, but they were a little short during July. Next thing we knew, we were getting together and pulling a ride together. The first year we did it, we took down 2,200 toys and $5,000 dollars. Lo and behold, the next year we took down 2,000 toys and ended up with about $100,000 dollars!"

Jimmy and his group have now contributed over $270,000 dollars and have delivered 30,000 toys to the hospital in Lexington. And, each year, a caravan of around 1,000 motorcycles make the trip from Pikeville, rain or shine.

Now, it's hard to talk to anyone in the eastern half of Kentucky who hasn't heard of "Hillbilly Christmas in July". But, Jimmy stresses that even though the hospital in Lexington treats children from all over, there are hundreds of local children who are current patients there. "As a matter of fact, right now, there are over 360 active patients just from Pike County," explained Kinney. "So, we really need to take care of these kids! If you can touch one child, it is worth all the money in the world."

For more information, you can check out their website at www.hillbillychristmasinjuly.org. Congratulations, Jimmy Kinney, this week's Billy Johnson Community Hero!

Local Fire Chief Named This Week's Hero

(April 12, 2012) - This week's Billy Johnson Community Hero is a man who is known throughout the region for coming to people's rescue when their lives are in danger, and has been doing that for the past 40 years. Glen Adkins, the chief of the Millard/East Shelbiana Fire Department and Dive Team says it all started for him 40 years ago this month. "It all started in April, 1972. A man's trailer caught on fire on Rocky Road, and him and his wife got out with only the shirts on their backs," recalls Adkins. "That made us realize that we needed some type of fire protection."

And, that was the start of only part of what he does. Several years later, after dozens of flash floods, boating accidents and drownings, Glen saw the need to start a dive team. But, he says working in the water in our region is not an easy task. "The dive team came into place in 1980. Most of our water here has no visibility. Probably 20% of our calls are in the lake and 80% of them are in the river. In the river, you have virtually zero visibility," explained Adkins.

And, everyone knows being a volunteer firefighter and answering calls when you know lives are depending on you is not for everyone. Glen recalls a few accidents he has responded to that made him realize that he knew he was doing what he was meant to do. "Probably the latest one was the school bus wreck at Millard. A truck came around the curve and hit a school bus that was loaded with kids, and the driver was trapped bad," he remembered. "It makes you feel good to be able to get them off the bus safely and get her from being pinned. The good part of it is when you are able to help somebody or save someone's life, or even find a victim who has been drowned for two to three weeks. It gives the family closure."

Congratulations, Glen Adkins, this week's Billy Johnson Community Hero!

Pike County PRIDE Hero

(April 6, 2012) - When most people think about the PRIDE group in Pike County, they think about this week's Billy Johnson Community Hero, Jimmy Dale Sanders. The PRIDE Initiative, started 15 years ago by Congressman Hal Rogers, stands for Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment, and Jimmy Dale Sanders is one of its biggest supporters. Mr. Sanders has been working with the Pike County PRIDE group for 13 years, and spends much of his time working with school groups and helping organize various community clean-up projects. And, throughout the past several years, he says he can tell a difference. "I have seen great results, and we've cleaned up over 300 illegal dumps in Pike County through the solid waste department and PRIDE working together," said Sanders. "We've come a long way! The river that runs behind my house is about 90% better than it was 20 years ago."

And, even though illegal dump sites are being cleaned up and less people seem to be littering, Mr. Sanders says he still sees litter on the sides of the road in places all across Pike County. And, that is something he cannot stand. "I drive down the road and see litter or an illegal dump, and it really irritates me. It's not a hard thing to control litter," explains Sanders. "If people would just keep their garbage in their car or truck until they get home and put it in garbage cans, the solid waste department will pick it up and get rid of it."

Jimmy Dale Sanders is known throughout our region as a PRIDE volunteer who sacrifices many weekends and evening hours working to clean up Pike County. And, he says one thing that gives him hope is the youth involvement he sees through several area schools. Because, he knows in his heart that everyone working together can make a difference. "When you can see the results, that's what it's all about! I hope to be able to drive down our roads and hollows and not see litter that looks like it snowed all along the ditch lines. It shouldn't be that way."

Congratulations, Jimmy Dale Sanders, this week's Billy Johnson Community Hero.

Local Business Woman Gives From Her Heart

(March 23, 2012) - This week's Billy Johnson Community Hero is well known throughout our region for work she does through her business, but Shirley Blackburn is this week's Community Hero for the work she does from her heart. She heads up "Coats for Kids," a non-profit group that she started eight years ago to purchase coats for children in our area. She said it all started when she heard someone talking about needing to purchase coats for children, and it has grown from there. But, Shirley gives all the credit for their success to the many volunteers who help. "It's all about the volunteers. It's about the Lord first, and then the volunteers who jump in there to help," explained Blackburn. "Whether it be working hot dog sales or someone donating $10 to purchase a coat, it's all about the volunteers. I just was the person who heard the need that day!"

The "Coats for Kids" group works year-round, holding fundraisers to help pay for the coats they will need to purchase in the fall, and she is very thankful for the support of her family. "If it wasn't for my husband, J.R. Blackburn, my daughters Brianna and Lexie and my mom, we couldn't do it," explains Blackburn. "They've put up with my vision to help with the coats, and we've had coats all over our home trying to get them ready to give out to children."

Shirley says she was excited that first year to see how many children received new coats, and had absolutely no idea how much it would grow! "We started the first year with 200 coats, and I thought, 'Oh, my goodness, how are we going to pull this together?' But, we traveled from Huntington to Charleston to Lexington trying to locate coats. The next year it grew more, and this year...eight years later, we were able to put 3,000 coats out to our children!" For more information, visit www.coatsforkidsky.com.

Congratulations, Shirley Blackburn, this week's Billy Johnson Community Hero!