MOLINE, ILLINOIS (April 1, 2021) — The American Red Cross Serving the Quad Cities and West Central Illinois chapter is proud to honor two extraordinary individuals for their acts of heroism, service, and dedication to building a better community.
“We are extremely honored to recognize two women who, through their dedication and service, have worked to improve our community in a very difficult year. Megan Murphy and Lee Ann Porter are two courageous women who have put the needs of others before their own,” says Trish Burnett, executive director of the American Red Cross Serving the Quad Cities and West Central Illinois. “They are exemplary members of the local area,” she added.
For years, the American Red Cross has honored local heroes and is bringing this tradition to the Quad Cities this year. As we continue to work hard to put the coronavirus pandemic behind us, we will honor this year’s class of heroes for the Illinois Red Cross region during a virtual event on Thursday, April 29, 9AM. Please visit redcross.org/hero to register to attend this free event and find more information.
The 2021 Class of Quad Cities Heroes
Honorees were nominated in 12 community service categories. Heroes were chosen by an independent committee of leaders in the business and civic community from nearly 200 nominees. The 2021 American Red Cross Heroes include two exceptional individuals from the Quad Cities and West Central Illinois.
Megan Murphy BSN/RN of Rock Island is our Healthcare Hero.
Megan is a nurse at UnityPoint Health Trinity in Rock Island, where she manages the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and the Medical Intensive Care Unit. However, as the need for beds increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so did the need for staff. Without hesitation, Megan stepped up, managing two additional intensive care units which held 47 patients at their peak. This was 17 patients over capacity. She not only managed the units, but also cared for some of the sickest patients during this healthcare crisis. Megan also looked after the wellbeing of her staff, providing them with flip-flops and baskets to be used as shower caddies, as many of them opted to shower at the hospital before going home to minimize exposing their loved ones to the virus. She credits her staff for their dedication and commitment in facing the challenges of the past year.
Lee Ann Porter of Galesburg is the Social Justice Hero.
Lee Ann Porter is the founder of Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank, a non-profit that provides diapers and feminine-hygiene supplies to families in need. Her organization serves six counties in West Central Illinois and has distributed a million diapers to families in need. In 2004, as a single mother, Lee Ann couldn’t afford diapers for her son, and the nearest diaper bank was three hours away. Many years later, she read about a diaper bank online and could not believe the problem she experienced back then was still an issue in her community. In the summer of 2014, she started Loving Bottoms Diaper Bank and now works with a network of partner organizations that distribute these diapers directly out to families.
Thank you to all our generous sponsors of the 2021 Illinois Red Cross Heroes event, including: Better, The Edwardson Family Foundation, Susan and Nick Noyes, KPMG, our media sponsor WHBF, and many other organizations who have made the Heroes program possible.
About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, and Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott, and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion, and Ralls. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at www.Redcross.org/Illinois or visit us on Twitter @RedCrossIL
