Know a Hometown Hero?

Brandy Vega

After serving in the United States Army and a noteworthy career in journalism and public affairs, Brandy founded Good Deed Revolution, a nonprofit organization that has helped hundreds of people by promoting kindness and good deeds through and online community platform. Her advocacy also extends to mental health and suicide prevention, driven by her personal experiences with her daughters’ struggles. She has been open about their challenges and is launching a suicide prevention and mental health series to address this critical issue. An all-around good person, Brandy is also a self-defense instructor, served as a surrogate for strangers, and she adopted a baby. Brandy truly embodies the spirit of a Hometown Hero, continually striving to make Utah and the world a better place.

Erica Fryer

Mrs. Fryer, is a first and second-grade teacher at Robert Frist Elementary School, and one of the best teachers in the state. Her dedication to her students is unparalleled. She spends countless hours preparing her classroom with the tools and resources her students need to succeed in their educational goals. She understands that every child is unique, and she tailors her teaching style to meet the needs of each individual student. Her students love her because she is not just their teacher, but also a mentor, friend, and role model. She inspires them to dream big and teaches them to work hard to achieve their goals. She sacrifices so much for her students, and her hard work and commitment never goes unnoticed by her colleagues, students, and their parents.

Ron Macintosh

Ron started a non-profit that takes Combat Veterans on guided hunts. He tirelessly raises the funds to provide them with gear, flights, room, food, tags & fun – all at no cost, as a thank you for their service. While Veterans are chosen from all over the USA, each year Ron will choose one to two Utah Veterans to honor. He wants to give back to our local Heroes that you may not even know have sacrificed for our freedoms. This year while hunting with two Veterans in Kansas, Ron severely injured his leg. He postponed the necessary surgery to make sure he did not have to cancel his next trip, taking a Utah Veteran to Green River for a once in a lifetime, all-paid-for Turkey hunt. Pushing through the pain, Ron was able to create an unforgettable hunt for this hero and he bagged his first ever Turkey! Ron does not seek accolades for his dedication and hard work, his joy comes in seeing the faces of the Veterans, the brotherhood they all create, and knowing he’s giving back to those who have given so much to all of us.

Mikel Archibeque

Mikel has devoted his entire life to our country and our local Utah communities. He served eight years in the US Army, fourteen for local police departments, and after all that, is now serving Veterans at the Salt Lake VA. While in the police force, he worked with the Metro Mental Health Unit, helping local people at their absolute rock bottom worst moments. It is almost impossible to calculate the enormous amount of good this human has done for people, given all of ways he has served us, but let’s just say it’s vast and enormous, and he deserves to be appreciated, remembered and recognized. Mikel is an outstanding example of what it means to be a Hometown Hero and we’re so honored to be able to get him a little bit of the recognition he deserves.