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Vistiors encouraged to nominate their heroes

Reprinted courtesy of The Grinnell-Herald Register November 22, 2008.

Iowa Transportaion Museum opens online with Heroes Center

Even before it officially opens its doors to the public, the Iowa Transportation Museum is motoring ahead online with the launch of its interactive, Web-based Heroes Center.

At TransportationHeroes.org, visitors of any age can nominate heroes who have made a difference in the transportation industry or placed their life at risk while on the job. By early next year, an inaugural class of heroes will be selected, and the site will use a blend of personal interviews, videos and written stories to shine a light on some of the people who have kept our country moving forward.

“The Heroes Center is all about honoring the people who make the wheels go round – assuring us a better life,” said Gerald Schnepf, president of the Iowa Transportation Museum’s board of directors. “For too long, many of these heroes have gone unrecognized; it is time to tell their stories. We are thrilled to be opening this online version of the museum experience and we aim to use content from it to help develop future exhibitions at the museum and, more importantly, to provide role models to our youth that can inspire and motivate them into the field of transportation.”

Nominations for the Heroes Center will be accepted year-round with no limit to the number of individuals who can be inducted each year. Visitors to the site will be asked to select one of three categories when nominating a hero.

“Heroes by Example” include transportation workers who have accomplished their everyday job in an extraordinary way.

“Heroes of Industry and Technology” include those individuals who have made significant –breakthroughs or contributions in transportation-related industries or technologies.

“Heroes of Valor” represent transportation workers who have placed their life at risk – either willingly or unknowingly – while on the job.

“The Heroes Center is breaking the mold by telling the stories of the unsung heroes, particularly those right here in Iowa,” said Gordon Canfield, treasurer for the Iowa Transportation Museum and mayor of Grinnell. “I hope that everyone takes advantage of this special opportunity to get the transportation hero in their life recognized on a national level.”

The mission of the Iowa Transportation Museum is to explore the evolution of transportation, making it come alive to enhance our understanding of how transportation systems and workers contribute to the culture and quality of life we enjoy. For further information about the museum or its Heroes Center, visit IowaTransportationMusuem.org. The museum is funded in part by Transportation Enhancement funds administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation.