Celebrating Trust, Love and Commitment
South Bend, Indiana—Over the 2021 Notre Dame – Purdue weekend, the Holtz’s Heroes Foundation, Inc., hosted their annual Reunion Weekend. The festivities kicked off on Friday at the Hammes Notre Dame Bookstore basketball courts with a charity cornhole tournament in support of legendary Coach Muffet McGraw and her September Hunger Awareness Campaign. The tournament featured Notre Dame football legends Reggie Brooks, Rocket Ismail, Oscar McBride, Randy Kinder, Raki Nelson, Tony Rice, and Chris Zorich, Oscar McBride, Raki Nelson, and Randy Kinder, among others.
The weekend wrapped up with a pregame brunch on Saturday morning which featured a Question-and-Answer session with Coach Holtz, Tim Brown, and Rocket Ismail. The Q&A session, hosted by none other than Jack Nolan, was filled with nostalgia as the three Irish legends shared so many memorable stories from time spent together in the shadow of the Golden Dome. The brunch also provided an opportunity publicly recognize individuals who through a variety of ways have contributed to the growth and success of Holtz’s Heroes Foundation, Inc.
The awards and the recipients are detailed below.
The Lou Holtz Award
This award is the highest honor given by Holtz’s Heroes Foundation, Inc. bestowed upon an individual who best represents and holds true the foundation’s core values of Trust, Love, & Commitment. Who better to receive the award for trust, love, and commitment than the gentleman who dedicated so many years of his life to instill these essential core values in young men across three generations. He did this not just during these several years spent coaching. He continues to exemplify the importance of these aspects of life each day as evidenced by his contributions to our country and within the long-standing relationships he created during his career.
Recipient: Lou Holtz
The Beth Holtz Award
This award is presented to a selfless individual whose faith, leadership, love, trust, and commitment to mankind is manifested in all they do. The recipient does not gravitate to the spotlight, but rather chooses to serve in the shadow. Sheri Trine, the humble recipient of this award, chose to be outspoken with a multitude of generous and kind actions. Trine’s quiet strength has shown through her unshakable support of her husband and Holtz Heroes Foundation as well as her undeniable veneration of education, community, and faith.
Recipient: Sheri Trine
The Trust Award
The Trust Award is given to that individual who embodies this value and has incorporated it into all facets of his or her life, through their actions toward others, and the recipient can affirmatively answer “yes” to the question, “Can I Trust You?” The winner of this award was Mike Leep, a charitable pillar in the Michiana community, who embodies one of the core values of the Holtz Heroes Foundation–consistency in uplifting the community.
Recipient: Mike Leep
The Love Award
The Love Award is awarded to that individual who shows no partiality and who inspires by their actions above all else that Love is the binding force that unites us all. They consistently answer “yes” to the question, “Do You Care About Others?” Through his actions Martin Hiller exemplifies caring about others. He pours his heart and soul into not only maintaining but growing his family business as well as taking the time to build and strengthen his relationship with Lou Holtz and all the members of the Holtz Heroes Foundation.
Recipient: Martin Hiller
The Commitment Award
The Commitment Award is given to that individual who refuses to flinch in the face of adversity, never compromising the right action(s) to take as their commitment to excellence is infallible. Each day they answer, ‘yes’ to the question, “Are You Committed to Excellence?” Mike Wilcox has been absolutely committed to excellence since he founded Wilcox Financial in 1982. Despite Wilcox’s time being stretched thin, with the responsibility of his massive and diverse clientele on his shoulders, he always finds time for the cultivation and betterment of the Holtz Heroes Foundation.
Recipient: Mike Wilcox
The Brogan Award
This award is given to a member of Holtz’s Heroes Foundation, Inc. that exemplifies the values of team first. This individual is committed to doing what’s right and seeking the betterment of those around him. Reggie Brooks learned that the team came first during his college football career while he played as a breakout star player on Lou Holtz’s 1992 team. He carried these values into his career and showed that this value doesn’t disappear when the final game ends. Brooks has dedicated years of his life to public outreach and extending unconditional trust, love, and commitment to former Notre Dame athletes. The other recipient of this award is Tom Galloway, the former president of the Holtz Heroes Foundation, who dedicated years of his life to establishing the organization, forging formidable relationships, and growing Holtz Heroes Foundation to the charitable organization it has become today.
Recipient: Reggie Brooks and Tom Galloway
Lou’s Lads Scholarships
Recipient: Anna Medrano – Junior, Major – Mechanical Engineering, Minor – Energy Studies from Cumming, GA
Recipient: Sean Ford – Junior, Major – Business and Music, Minor – Musical Theater from Tinley Park, IL
The Holtz’s Heroes Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to preserving and supporting the legacy of Coach Lou Holtz and his players while providing a platform to provide financial assistance for the educational needs of underprivileged students and legacies as well as support charitable and educational activities and organizations within the communities of its members. For more information on getting involved visit:
www.holtzsheroes.org
