'Everyday Heroes', A Knights of Columbus Documentary, Premieres Sunday, May 19, on ABC Affiliates Across the Country
"If we look in the right places, we can see there are heroes all around us."
– Carl A. Anderson
NEW HAVEN, CT, May 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Everyday Heroes, a Knights of Columbus documentary offering an unfiltered look at heroism in our day, begins a six-week run on ABC affiliates across the country, Sunday, May 19.
Through short biographical vignettes supported by interviews and original footage shot in the U.S., Canada and France, the documentary suggests that true heroism is most often found in the acts of the most humble — an assertion conveyed through examples from the lives of ordinary members of Knights of Columbus, the world's largest service society for Catholic men and their families.
The 57-minute documentary features high-stakes and inspirational moments from the lives of 14 men – and one parish community – who have demonstrated heroic acts of selflessness and charity in their respective communities, and beyond.
"There's a real crisis of heroism in our culture but it's certainly not for a lack of everyday heroes," says Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus and executive producer of the documentary. "If we look carefully, we can see there are heroes all around us."
Among those featured is Mike Sweeney, a five-time American League all-star first baseman and ex-captain of the Kansas City Royals. Throughout his 16-year career, Sweeney tenaciously maintained his integrity, values and a devotion to his faith.
"The thing I'm most proud of is that I honored God with my career," says Sweeney in the documentary.
José Lebron-Sanabria, a 44-year old husband and father of two children from Puerto Rico, is also featured. Inspired by his 11-year-old son in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria and strengthened by a devotion to the Venerable Michael McGivney, founder of Knights of Columbus, José instinctively embarks on a seemingly impossible mission to serve meals and deliver emergency supplies to hundreds of citizens in desperate need of help.
"Everyday heroes like José and Mike show us how to counter avarice with charity, ambition with unity, revenge with fraternity and selfishness with self-sacrifice," says Anderson.
Military personnel are included in the documentary, including an Air Force fighter pilot and two U.S. Army veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Everyday Heroes was chosen for distribution on ABC TV affiliated stations across the U.S. through a partnership with the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission (IBC). In existence since 1980, IBC is a co-operative venture of America's Abrahamic faith communities – a broad coalition of Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christians, Jewish and Muslim organizations – in partnership with ABC, CBS and NBC and their affiliated stations nationwide. Regarded as a primary source for faith-based network programs, the IBC represents mainstream religion in our society, affirms the integrity of each other's faith perspective, and helps television, in particular, and mass media in general, to exercise their societal and public service responsibilities.
Everyday Heroes will air primarily on Sundays. Air times and TV listings: KofC.org/heroesfilm.
About Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is one of the nation's premiere volunteer and charitable organizations. Last year, Knights worldwide donated more than 75.6 million hours, and more than $185 million to charitable causes in communities throughout the Americas, as well in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. From helping children in need, to providing wheelchairs for the disabled, to helping stock food banks, to offering top-rated and affordable life insurance to its members, the Knights has been at the service of the community for more than 130 years.
Consult KofC.org/heroesfilm for additional information.
SOURCE Knights of Columbus
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