![]() They are thrilled and honored to head the campaign, he said.Įveryone in the room, he said, is “passionate about what happens in our communities.” He likes the way the organization improves lives and creates possibilities. and Kathy Eihusen are the co-chairs of this year’s Heartland United Way campaign, which kicked off Thursday with a luncheon at Riverside Golf Club.Įihusen joked that he and his wife agreed to become co-chairs because “we ran out of excuses in telling Karen no,” referring to Heartland United Way President Karen Rathke.Īctually, he said, the Eihusens are “incredibly passionate” about United Way. On Thursday evening, McDonough appeared at a first responders reception at Third City Christian Church.ĭ.J. McDonough was played by Miles Teller in the film, which had a free screening Sept. He served as a creative consultant for the 2017 film, “Only the Brave,” which starred Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Connelly. McDonough authored a 2016 book, “Granite Mountain,” copies of which were available Thursday. Heartland United Way President Karen Rathke said McDonough’s trip to Grand Island was made possible by this year’s campaign co-chairs, D.J. “I’m just here to tell you it works.”Įnjoy the small things in life, he said, because we never know when they might be gone. There is no greater love than being in service to others, he said.Įven if we don’t see the effects of helping those people, that assistance is vital. His kids have a father “because of people like you,” he said. The changes in his life, he said, were brought about by people just like those in the audience. He is now married with three children, ages 10, 9 and 2. He now runs a substance abuse and trauma treatment center, working with people who’ve had experiences similar to his. McDonough doesn’t know if he’ll ever go back to the fire service. The key step was a recommendation to get counseling, made by a man he respected. It took him four years to recover.īut he succeeded in becoming “the man I never had.” He found faith in God and a purpose again. When left on your own, he said, you find the worst in yourself. Finding refuge in alcohol, he felt alone again. But Eric Marsh, superintendent of the crew, told him if he quit running, he’d quit at everything the rest of his life.Īfter the 2013 fire, McDonough had a hard time dealing with the guilt of being the only survivor, the anxiety and the shame. Even before McDonough’s job with the Granite Mountain Hotshots was secure, the members of the crew took part in a 10k run. When he applied for a job with the firefighting crew, he had done heroin just three days before.īut with that crew, he found a man who became a mentor and a supporter. He was on his way to becoming everything he always feared becoming. ![]() At the age of 18, with a daughter on the way, he went to jail. ![]() In his words, he did a lot of drugs and lot of partying. McDonough grew up without a father figure. Those children and their families received important assistance from United Way agencies. McDonough said his life was similar to the children shown in a video at the beginning of the campaign luncheon. Nineteen firefighters, all fellow members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, died in the Yarnell Hill tragedy. McDonough told his life story and talked about his brothers who all lost their life fighting a fire about ten years ago.īrendan McDonough, who lives in Prescott, Arizona, was the only firefighter who survived a 2013 fire near Yarnell, Arizona. Make A Difference: Ex-firefighter tells how United Way changed his lifeīrendan McDonough, the lone survivor of the Granite Mountains Hot Shots Crew, was the featured speaker at Thursdays United Way Kick-off at Riverside Golf Club.
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