You Nominate Your Real-Life Heroes. We Give Them Free Igloo Gear.
The heroes are among us, guys. And we don’t mean the fictional superheroes we watch onscreen. First responders — the pros immediately on the front lines of emergencies — are doing heroic work every single day, putting others’ safety and well-being before their own and often taking risks for the greater good. That’s a hero.
At Igloo, we sincerely admire, respect and are appreciative of first responders and the incredibly hard jobs they do, and our sentiments have been amplified by teaming up with Da Rulk. As an Igloo Ambassador and world-renowned fitness trainer of first responders and military elite forces, Da Rulk works first-hand with these heroes. But his involvement extends past training; Da Rulk finds ways to give back to those who serve our communities. And we wanted in on the action.
We’re proud to have created, in collaboration with Da Rulk, First Responder Friday — our way of recognizing your real-life heroes while rewarding them with a big Igloo prize.
Nominate Your Hero for First Responder Friday
This is your chance to give the first responder in your life the Igloo treatment. Each month, we’ll select one first responder nominee as the winner and gift them $500 to Igloocoolers.com. as a token of our immense appreciation.
But they won’t have a chance of winning unless YOU nominate them. Think of the first responder you know and greatly appreciate. Think of your firefighter cousin or your paramedic best friend and the impressive stories they’ve told you about their experiences on the front lines. The sacrifices they’ve made, the risks they’ve taken, dangers they’ve faced and how they’ve gone above and beyond their call of duty to help their communities. The ones who’ve risked even more than ever imagined, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We want to hear their stories. In your nomination entry, tell us about their bravery and selflessness and what makes you proud to know them. We want to know what makes them the definition of a real-life hero.
NOMINATE A FIRST RESPONDER HERE
More About the Program
We’re open for submissions NOW! All nominations to be considered must be submitted through our official First Responder Friday entry form here. Each winner will be selected by Igloo and Da Rulk. We’ll hook up the winning first responder with up to $500 to Igloocoolers.com.
Do you have someone in mind deserving of this honor? Submit your First Responder Friday nominee now.
CONGRATS TO OUR SEPTEMBER WINNER: CAPTAIN FRANK ABRIL
We’re putting the spotlight on a true U.S. hero: Frank Abril, Cal Fire Helitack Captain of Riverside, CA.
As the honoree of our September First Responder Friday, we celebrate Captain Abril for his selfless bravery and rewarded him with almost $1,000 of Igloo gear as a token of appreciation for all he does.
Here’s the powerful story shared with us about what makes Captain Abril so deserving:
My brother loves his profession. Since he was 17 years old walking down to the local fire station to train and volunteer every Monday night to this day when he goes at times to help at Camp Pendleton with training in certain situations. It has always been inherent in him to put others first, never leave anyone behind. He is the best man I know. He’s in the air often doing water drops and hoist rescues wherever they call the team. He loves the job and has this incredible work ethic, and being part of this band of brothers has been such an honor to him. He NEVER thinks of himself. He’s my hero. Frank loves his wife and children more than I could ever say here. In 2009, he was awarded the Governor’s Medal of Valor from then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with his team for going above and beyond as all first responders do. Without regard for their own personal safety, his helicopter landed in the center of a forest fire when he found out a barefoot 84-year-old woman and her two dogs were stranded alone in front of her burning home. He covered her in water and blankets, and the team ushered her through actual fire by the safest path. Each year, each season, selflessly sacrificing time and effort. This is my brother Frank Abril.