Megan was nominated by her sister, Carrie Gowans, for her work with the Family Readiness Group (FRG) in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and for her ongoing support of the military. Meghan received more than half of the votes in this round.

In her nomination, Carrie wrote, “Through her work with the FRG, Megan held fundraisers and welcome home receptions for Illinois military servicemen and women. She also supported the families in her FRG by sending boxes to every soldier in the unit while deployed. Megan is a proud military supporter and a wonderful wife and mother.”

Congratulations, Megan!

As the winner, Megan will receive a one-week Chevrolet vehicle loan, a $500 gift card and a special vehicle delivery celebration.

Thank you to the nominators for sharing their stories with us, and to all the military supporters across the country working tirelessly to support our troops and those on the home front. We’re always accepting nominations for local heroes, so click here to submit YOUR hero’s story today!

For more information on Our Town, Our Heroes, visit and “like” our Facebook page!

If you plan to bring your four-legged friend along this summer, consider the following tips from Dr. Sheldon Rubin, Anti-Cruelty Society board member and former veterinarian for Oprah Winfrey, to keep your pet safe in your vehicle.

• Have your co-pilot sit in back. To keep your canine safe, always have him sit in the backseat of the vehicle, using crates, safety harnesses and safety barriers.

• Never let your pet hang his head out of the window. Cracking the windows just slightly will provide him with fresh air while preventing the air, dirt and pollen from blowing into his eyes.

• Obedience comes first. Obedience training is a must for dogs on the go. Using specific in-vehicle commands will help ensure your canine will not distract you while driving.

• Settle the stomach. Some pets can suffer motion sickness in the vehicle. Traveling with an empty stomach may help in preventing vomiting, and your veterinarian can supply medication to treat motion sickness if needed.

• Leash-up. Once you arrive to your destination or rest stop, take caution before opening car doors. When taking your pup out of the car, have a leash attached and in your hand so he cannot escape. The easiest way to control him and pull him out of harm’s way is to travel with a harness on your dog.

• Practice pet etiquette.If you are traveling with your pet and are staying with friends or family, practice good etiquette and call ahead to be sure your furry mate will be welcomed. Not all hotels are pet–friendly, so do your homework before you leave.  Be sure to check out the list below for pet-friendly hotel chains in Illinois.
  • America’s Best Value Inn
  • Best Western
  • Hampton Inn
  • Hilton Hotel
  • La Quinta
  • Ramada
  • Sheraton
  • The Westin 

  What are your summer travel plans? Will you bring Rover along? Click here for more tips from Dr. Rubin.

While I’ve managed to get around Chicago over the past year via train, bus and my own two feet, having a new vehicle for a week showed me what I’ve been missing.

I was lucky enough to get an extended test drive in a General Motors vehicle of my choice, and the Cadillac SRX crossover seemed like the perfect combination of power and efficiency. It turns out I was right! If you like bigger vehicles like I do, but don’t want a gas-guzzling giant, the SRX is a great choice.

Driving was just plain fun. The exterior is as sleek as they come, and the interior is comfortable and super well-equipped. It even came with XM radio, a touch screen display, inset TVs for backseat passenger and heated (and cooled!) seats. My favorite part was a huge double sunroof that spans most of the vehicle’s length. The benefit of a rear camera made parallel parking the easiest experience ever!

I did a good deal of driving during my time with the vehicle and didn’t have to stop for gas once.  That was a huge relief, considering my friends who own vehicles are always complaining about pain at the pump.

Having the freedom to explore Chicago in an awesome ride is something I’ll miss more than I imagined.

• The Renaissance Center began as the headquarters for Ford Motor Company, opening in 1976.
• It became the global headquarters for General Motors in 1996, and underwent an extensive upgrade renovation.
• The historic building even has its own zip code and boasts views of Windsor, Ontario – across the Detroit River to your south!

Next time you plan a Midwest road trip, make sure to visit this American icon. You can even stay at the Detroit Renaissance Center Marriott, the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere.

And from that day on, I joke I’m now a member of the biggest sorority there is – mommies – because once you’re a mom, you realize how much you want, and need, to rely on the wisdom of your mom, other moms who’ve been there before, fellow new moms and more.

To call a mom a hero is an understatement. When two researchers at the University of Richmond conducted a study of people of all ages and from all walks of life and asked them to list their heroes, family members were listed about a third of the time. And, most importantly, one fourth of all people listed their mothers as their hero – http://blog.richmond.edu/heroes/2011/05/07/why-our-mothers-are-our-heroes/

It goes without saying that moms’ heroic actions range start at birth and range from kissing a boo-boo when young kids fall to driving their Chevrolet Traverse from soccer to baseball to gymnastics and then, finally, to college. If you know of a heroic mom, we’d love to hear about her! Please nominate her by Thursday, May 31 here at DrivingtheMidwest.com and we’ll look forward to hearing her story.

Happy Mother’s Day!

The current standings are as follows:

1^st place – Megan McDowell

2^nd place – Eric Kohn

3^rd place – Mark Slaby

Don’t see your favorite hero in the top spot? There are still seven days left to cast your vote! Remember, you can vote once a day. Support your hero by spreading the word on social networks and liking us on Facebook!

Click here for the Our Town, Our Heroes official rules. Contact hero@drivingthemidwest.com for any questions or comments about the program.

Be sure to visit DrivingtheMidwest.com next Thursday, May 17 for the winner announcement! Good luck to all our hero finalists!

By Guest Blogger Carol Crytser, associate director, Lazarus House

When I first heard about Kindness Quest, I was intrigued and knew it was something I would want to participate in. I promptly called my friend Lea to see if she would like to join me. I am so glad we decided to be a part of this event.

Lea and I stopped at a grocery store and purchased gift cards for people we met throughout the day. As we walked into the store, we noticed a display of potted flowers in front. We picked out a few geraniums, some cupcakes and packages of pistachio nuts to pass out with the gift cards.

Our first good deed was right outside the store when we handed a gift card to a woman in the parking lot.  She was so surprised and told us she never had anyone do anything like that for her before. Next, we gave a T-shirt and a package of pistachios to a man who was holding a sign along the road. He gave us a big smile and thanked us for the gifts.

When we attempted to give away the flowers, a woman was hesitant to open her car window and told us the flowers were not hers. Lea explained they were simply a gift of kindness.

Seeing the reactions to simple good deeds were truly inspiring. We had an awesome time passing it forward and hearing how others did so too. I also appreciated the use of the Buick Regal for a few days. With the hands free calling, we made “kindness calls” to friends and family right from the car!

It’s officially May – the sun is shining, the mercury is rising and everyone is finding reasons to abscond outside for a few more minutes each day. For college students, the beginning of May means the school term is quickly to coming to an end.

Rather than enjoying the beautiful weather and temperate days, diligent and dutiful students across the U.S. are sequestered in libraries and dormitories studying hard to finish their semester on high notes before their fast-approaching final exams.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), for more than 1.7 million college students, May will be the last month of college before graduation.

Did you know General Motors supports hard-working students through a variety of programs? Buick and the GM Foundation supported more than 1,100 students this year with scholarships to help pay for as much as $100,000 in tuition for four lucky students.

Additionally, if you are a current student or recent graduate looking for a new vehicle to get you to and from class (or job interviews), check out the special student discounts offered by GM to help you afford that new ride.

Not looking to purchase a new car, but still going places? Tell us how the use of one of our cars would benefit you, and you might be able to borrow one of our cars for a week.

Eric, Mark and Megan are all supporting the military and their community, whether it’s providing assistance to Illinois military families, raising funds for wounded veterans to continue their education, or welcoming home soldiers who have been serving our country. We’re turning it over to YOU to vote in this special round of Our Town, Our Heroes.

Read what their nominators have to say about these military heroes and cast your vote below. Remember, you can vote once per day for the hero who inspires you most. We will post the standings for this round of Our Town, Our Heroes halfway through the voting period, on Wednesday, May 9, so stay tuned to DrivingtheMidwest.com for the latest updates!

Eric Kohn from Chicago, nominated by Dan Proft

Eric Kohn helps military families across the state of Illinois, providing them with emergency assistance with household bills, home repairs and health services. As a family assistance manager with Operation Homefront – Illinois, an organization dedicated to serving Illinois military families, Eric has helped hundreds of families over the past several years. He truly embodies Mother Teresa’s observation that “we can do no great thing, only small things with great love.”

Mark Slaby from Chicago, nominated by Blake Leitch
Mark Slaby works tirelessly to help raise scholarship funds for Illinois military servicemen and women who have become disabled while fighting for our country. As the founder of Illinois Patriot Education Fund, Mark’s work has touched the lives of many military families, and in just the last year alone, he has helped seven Illinois veterans pursue their education through scholarship funds.

Megan McDowell from Lake Zurich, nominated by Carrie Gowans
Megan Grippe McDowell knows how exhausting military life can be as the wife of Steve McDowell who served during two deployments with the United States Army. While her husband was away, Megan put herself through nursing school, worked full-time, raised her children and ran the Family Readiness Group (FRG) for the 16th Psychological Operations Battalion based in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, along with her friend and military wife, Melissa Kosir Fribert. Through her work with the FRG, Megan supported other military families in the area through fundraisers and welcome home receptions, and she sent boxes to every soldier in the unit while deployed. Currently Megan is organizing a race for the upcoming summer to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
Remember, you can vote once per day for your favorite hero. We actively monitor voting to ensure all votes abide by the Official Rules of Our Town, Our Heroes. For questions about voting, please email hero@drivingthemidwest.com.

Voting for this round of Our Town, Our Heroes ends on Wednesday, May 16 at 5:00 p.m. CST, and we will announce the winning hero on Thursday, May 17. Follow @DrivingMidwest for real-time updates about the program.

You can also find the hero finalists on our new Facebook page, as well. Visit Facebook.com/OurTownOurHeroes today!

Last week, Chevrolet provided more young people with the chance to play on professional-quality baseball fields by celebrating a field makeover at Beckum Park in Milwaukee.

As the Official Vehicle of Major League Baseball, Chevrolet awarded then Milwaukee Brewer Prince Fielder the chance to makeover a field in the Milwaukee area for being named the MVP of the All-Star Game in 2011. Fielder, together with the Brewers Community Foundation, selected Milwaukee County Parks as the recipient.

Chevrolet started the Diamonds & Dreams program in 2010 as a way to support baseball in the communities where their customers live, work and play.  Essentially, anyone can enter to win a field makeover for their community by going to www.chevybaseball.com.  In the last three years, Chevrolet has refurbished more than 25 baseball fields across the country.

Chevrolet teams with Scotts, the Official Lawn Care Company of Major League Baseball, and Ripken Design, a division of Ripken Baseball, owned and operated by National Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. and 12-year Major League Baseball veteran Bill Ripken on its field refurbishments.  Together, these partners are positively impacting kids through baseball at the grassroots level and giving them safe places to play.

The reaction on the coaches, parents and kids faces is priceless.  It is clear that they are proud to play on these fields and are so grateful for the makeover.

Diamonds & Dreams is back for 2012.  So, if you are interested in winning a field makeover for your community, go to www.chevybaseball.com to enter to win.