Communities at Oshkosh North honored as heroes by Red Cross

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)— A group of Oshkosh high school students are named local heroes by the American Red Cross in Northeast Wisconsin. They are the students who make up Communities at Oshkosh North High School. They were honored for their efforts to help victims of the California wildfires. 

“ We are so grateful to have heroes in our community that are really watching out for the other people, that are there when they’re needed, that are just jumping in whenever the moment calls, and are taking care of our community,” said Rebecca Rockhill, Executive Director of the Northeast Wisconsin Chapter. “And I think it’s important that we recognize these individuals. Not just to give them recognition, but to show the community how others just step up when needed!”

Youth & Young Adult Heroes: 

Oshkosh North Communities Program

The Youth and Young Adult Heroes for 2025 are the students in the Oshkosh North Communities program. Teacher Richard Lieb said their story started when the students were discussing current events, specifically the wildfires that devastated much of California. 

The students wanted to help. So they held a “Cutest Pets” fundraiser. That event raised almost $1,500 for the Red Cross to support victims of the wildfires in California.

“But I think what’s really cool about it is that not only did we raise money,” Lieb said. “But I think we started to understand what the Red Cross really does and the impact it does have. Then we were able to tell that story for the Red Cross. We had 80 kids serving as the megaphone for the American Red Cross.”

The students of Communities at Oshkosh North worked quickly to raise the money when it was needed.

“ I think we tried to turn this around in about a week and a half. So we pushed projects aside because of the timeliness,” Lieb said. “We understand the news cycle. Things come and go, and we wanted to hit when it was still on the headlines. And then we reached out to the American Red Cross in Northeast Wisconsin. The next thing you know, we had Rebecca (Rockhill) meeting with us. And away we went with it.”

Lieb added that helping the Red Cross was a way to also show how much students care and want to do good in their communities.

“ For organizations like the Red Cross to open their doors to young adults and give them a shot, I just appreciate that they were able to do that. I just think that everybody thinks they (the students) just stare at their phones,” said Lieb. “Our program’s all about giving kids a shot. The American Red Cross gave these kids a shot, and we were able to make an impact.”

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross chooses heroes across several categories: Blood Services Hero, Disaster Relief Hero, Emergency Response Hero, Good Samaritan Hero, and Youth & Young Adult Heroes. The honorees are selected based on the degree to which their actions uphold the values of the Red Cross humanitarian mission and leave a lasting positive impact on our communities.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.