Hometown Heroes
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Aashna Kumar
Edina High School senior Aashna Kumar is among the first-ever graduates of the Edina Rotary Global Scholars program. Her work including examining sustainable agricultural practices across cultures and continents and her representation at the Model G20 Leadership Summit earned her a Mayor's Youth Service Commendation.
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Bob Hursh
Hometown Hero, or really Bluebird Hero, Bob Hursh sets up and maintains scores of nesting boxes specifically designed for bluebirds. This Birdman of Edina has helped more than 1,400 baby bluebirds fledge since 1992, and his work led to Braemar Golf Course being named a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.
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Dean Bachmeier and Carol Greenland
Dean Bachmeier and Carol Greenland chose to do a meticulous deconstruction rather than demolition of their Arden Park home to salvage many materials for reuse, reduce environmental impact and support a nonprofit that provides jobs and training to those formerly incarcerated.
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Donna Tilsner
Hometown Hero Donna Tilsner, who spent years organizing and running Parks & Recreation programs and eventually the Edina Senior Center, is still helping Edina residents as an Election Judge - and loving it.
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Edina MealFund COVID-19 Response Team
A collaboration among nonprofits and donations from Edina residents and businesses helped provide thousands of meals for local families during the COVID-19 crisis, an effort that was honored with the Mayor's Service to Youth Commendation.
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Grant Johnson
Hometown Hero Grant Johnson, a small business owner and veteran remodeling contractor, serves as a head election judge, which means a very long Election Day as he works to oversee a polling place and ensure everything is done by the book.
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Hannelore Brucker
Hometown Hero Hannelore Brucker has continued her lifelong passions - medicine and music - into retirement by still working tirelessly to help people with many projects, including turning her home into a recording studio to play for nursing homes during the COVID-19 lockdown.
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Harmony and Joel Kaplan
What started as a way to entertain people during the COVID-19 shutdown turned this Edina couple into a social media sensation, with their classic song parodies earning them the nickname the "Distancing Duo."
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Jasmine Brett Stringer
Jasmine Brett Stringer is devoted to amplifying the voices of BIPOC women and working toward equity and inclusion. This Hometown Hero has launched organizations devoted to the cause and serves on the Edina Community Foundation's Board of Directors and Edina's Human Rights & Relations Commission.
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Junior Varsity Board of Her Next Play
The members of the Junior Varsity Board of Her Next Play have been named Hometown Heroes for their work to champion young athletes and keep girls in sport and their success in launching the inaugural Edina Girls Sports Summit.
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Kelsey Arneson and Tom Metzger
Hometown Heroes Kelsey Arneson and Tom Metzger took a more environmental-friendly approach to rebuilding their Countryside home by having a nonprofit remove parts of it for reuse and the non-reusable materials sent to a waste recycling processor. A grant even helped pay for it.
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Leslie Grothe and Tom Gump
Leslie Grothe and Tom Gump are Hometown Heroes for leading the Edina Fourth of July Parade committee, which organizes the huge event, and leading it through the COVID-19 crisis by keeping it alive with a virtual celebration in 2020.
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Mary Yee
Hometown Hero Mary Yee, who has been involved in local elections for two decades, takes extra steps the help voters and ensure they are able to cast their ballots.
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Melody Zhou
Melody Zhou, Principal of the Minnesota International Chinese School (MICS), has been named a Hometown Hero for her efforts leading cultural awareness and charitable events in the community.
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Mike Seeger
The skills Mike Seeger gained as a member of Boy Scout Troop 68 helped him grow into a a leader and a successful Edina Police Officer. This Eagle Scout and Hometown Hero is now paying it forward as Scoutmaster of the same troop
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Minnesota International Chinese School
The Minnesota International Chinese School has been named a Hometown Hero for its efforts to collect and donate needed medical supplies and personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, first in China and then in Minnesota.
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Rachel Adegbenro
Rachel Adegbenro, president of the Black Student Union, was weeks away from her Edina High School graduation when George Floyd was killed. She quickly turned to action, leading a donation effort for hard-hit Minneapolis residents and then the "Seeds of Change" art installation at 50th & France for which she created two of the signs.
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Rebecca Sorensen
Dismayed at the lack of a visual display of Edina's commitment to racial justice, Rebecca Sorensen reached out to artists and community groups, helping a grassroots effort to create and install the "Seeds of Change" display at 50th & France.
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Sarah and Steve Kumagai
For 30 years, Sarah and Steve Kumagai have been helping students of color from under-resourced backgrounds attend and succeed at Edina High School, college and life as part of Edina A Better Chance (ABC).
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Skip Thomas
A former star Edina athlete, Hometown Hero Skip Thomas has been giving back to the community for decades as a coach, church deacon, Rotarian, board member of multiple organizations and even a driver for Meals on Wheels.