Born and raised in Orlando, 20-year-old Eduardo Velasquez had always fostered a love for travel and a childhood fascination with the Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, whose beach performances his parents had taken him to see. Velasquez recalled, “I would always remember  seeing the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds’ demonstration teams perform, and I thought it was the coolest … [Read more...]

Sgt. Roy Daugherty was deployed for the U.S. Army in 2003 for the Iraq War when his combat patrol came under direct enemy fire. During the engagement, Daugherty was shot by incoming enemy fire. “We were able to eliminate the enemy threat,” Daugherty said, “enabling the squad to overcome the hostile area without any further injuries.” For his service and being wounded in … [Read more...]

The bedrooms at the Central Florida Children’s Home look like any other for a child – toys strewn on the floor and posters of the Avengers or Disney princesses on the walls. But the two sets of bunk beds on either wall set it apart, as does the enormous dining table for house dinners and the gigantic backyard that features a playground. The kids are all at school, Eastland … [Read more...]

In the music room of Eagle Creek Elementary School, 16 kindergarteners in a semicircle try their best to sing and dance along to the Jackson 5 classic “ABC.” The school’s teacher of the year, Darlene Grande, is at the piano as she guides them through the lyrics. As any student of American music would know, the lyrics to “ABC” aren’t complicated – and the kids seem to have a … [Read more...]

For Steven Negedly, the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. His father was a volunteer firefighter and, which can often be expected from sons, Negedly wanted to do what dad did. “[My father] owned a lawn business and was a volunteer, so I helped with the business,” Negedly said. “When a call would go out, he would go out, I'd just hang around the fire station and get on the … [Read more...]