Hometown Heroes
Edina is made up of people who pride themselves with making the city a great place for living, learning, raising families and doing business.
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Abid Hasan
This recent Edina High School graduate founded Vision for All, which helps Edina school students and residents in need get free eye exams. The nonprofit also collects and works to redistribute glasses to those in need around the world.
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Ana Munro
Ana Munro helped launch the Environmental Justice and Nature Immersion Program that gives local middle and high school students the opportunity for camping while learning about conservation and cultural heritage.
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Andy Warczak
Andy Warczak has had a lifelong passion for trees. He's donated about $15,000 over the last few years for maples, oaks and evergreens to be planted in east Edina parks, leaving a legacy for future generations to enjoy.
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Fartun Ismail
Fartun Ismail founded the nonprofit Somali American Women Action Center (SAWAC). One way SAWAC is helping the environment is by making dambiil (tote bags) out of natural fibers. These bags keep plastic out of landfills and provide a source of income for the women who make them.
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John Owens
The energy trade is the family business for John Owens, so it's no surprise he was an early adopter of solar and now boasts a rooftop array on his Interlachen Park home. Adding solar is easier than people think, he says, and he has advice for others considering it.
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Lunds & Byerlys
The France Avenue grocery store has achieved gold-level business accreditation from the Edina Energy & Environment Commission for its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint including food waste reduction, organics recycling and plastic bag recycling program. The store continues to go beyond by using specialized fans to save energy, improving skylights to reduce artificial light and employing technology to limit food prep waste.
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Molly Seidel
This Blake School student and top swimmer devotes her free time to causes from affordable housing to hunger to environmental conservation, and organizers others to get involved and take action.
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Peter Fitzgerald
Peter Fitzgerald led a group of hockey and skating supporters who pushed for improvements at Braemar Arena and headed up the "Yes" campaign to educate voters on how a sales tax increase would improve the Arena and other Edina Parks & Recreation facilities.
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Sara and Peter Ribbens
The couple had a solar array customized to the size and shape of their Prospect Knolls house installed in summer 2022 and instantly became exporters of energy instead of taking it from the grid.
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TEDxYouth@Edina Organizers
Edina High School students Emma Flaherty, Charlie Greene, Abid Hasan, Nick Presthus and Elsa Utoft helped organize, recruit speakers and curate the content for the inaugural TEDxYouth@Edina event. The group are Hometown Heroes, which the Edina Community Foundation recognized with their Connecting With Kids Leadership Award in 2023.
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Thomas Propson
The varsity defensive line coach for Edina High School football teaches preparation, attitude and effort on and off the field to prepare his athletes for success in football and life. In recognition of his contributions, he was honored with the Edina Community Foundation's Connecting With Kids Leadership Award.
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Waterfront Financial Group
The Braemar Hills-based wealth management specialists made small but significant changes to their daily office habits on way to earning silver-level certification from the Edina Green Business Outreach Program.