AND NOW ON WXII 12, THE LATEST HONOREE IN OUR SALUTE TO HEROES SERIES. FOR MORE THAN A DECADE NOW, THE AMERICAN RED CROSS HAS BEEN RECOGNIZING LOCAL FIRST RESPONDERS, MILITARY MEMBERS AND GOOD SAMARITANS FOR THEIR WORK IN THE TRIAD. THIS YEAR’S AWARD CEREMONY IS HAPPENING THIS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22ND, AT THE MILLENNIUM CENTER IN WINSTON SALEM. TONIGHT’S HONOREE IS A HERO TO HER ADULT SON FIRST AND A HERO TO HER COMMUNITY. SECOND HERE IS STOKES COUNTY SUPERMODEL AND SUPER ADVOCATE MITZI BRITT. MARSHALL, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS GETTING AN AWARD? YEAH. HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? YEAH. MARSHALL BRITT’S ENTHUSIASM IS PHENOMENAL. AND HIS MOM, MITZI, KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE IT COMES FROM. DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR WORLD? CHANGE THE WORLD FOR YOUR KIDS? YOU WANTED TO HAVE ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE YOU HEAR ALL THE CAMPS AND THEY’RE NEVER GOING TO. SO WE I, I GUESS WE MADE IT A MISSION TO TRY TO PROVE EVERYBODY WRONG. SHE AND HER HUSBAND FOUND OUT MARSHALL HAD DOWN’S SYNDROME WITHIN 24 HOURS OF HIS BIRTH, LESS THAN A YEAR LATER. THEY WERE VOLUNTEERING WITH SPECIAL IMPACTS. NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE FIRST TIME. EVERYTHING WAS A SUCCESS, NO MATTER IF YOU WERE FIRST, SECOND OR THIRD. IT WAS ABOUT HAVING A GREAT TIME MAKING FRIENDSHIPS AND PARTICIPATE IN THE SPORTS. IT’S HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS HOW GREAT IT IS TO SEE. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT’S THE WORLD, THE WAY THE WORLD SHOULD BE, BECAUSE EVERYBODY TEARS EVERYBODY HOME AGAIN. THERE AREN’T ANY LOSERS. WE’RE ALL HAVING A GREAT TIME, PARTICIPATE IN MAKING NEW FRIENDS. IT’S JUST A GREAT TIME. MARSHALL IS A GREAT BOWLER. 2019, HE WON GOLD AT THE STATE GAMES AND IT WAS AROUND THAT SAME TIME HIS JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL THAT WEST STOKES STARTED OFFERING SOMETHING KNOWN AS UNIFIED SPORTS. IT’S A PROGRAM WHERE STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES COMPETE ON THE SAME TEAM. MARSHALL PLAYED FLAG FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL FOR THE WILDCATS. I COULD TELL A DIFFERENCE IN HIS CONFIDENCE LEVEL HOW HE CARRIED HIMSELF, HOW HE HE SMILED MORE. HE WAS HAPPIER WITH THE WHOLE. HE WAS GETTING A LITTLE MORE OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE. MITZI BECAME STOKES COUNTY’S SPECIAL OLYMPICS COORDINATOR IN 2017. ASIDE FROM WORKING WITH THE STATE CHAPTER IN RALEIGH AND HANDLING LOGISTICS LIKE FINDING VOLUNTEERS, COACHES AND ATHLETES, SHE’S ALSO HELPED TO FIND A PLACE FOR HER SON AND HIS SPECIAL OLYMPICS BOWLING TEAM TO PRACTICE. RURAL HALL LANES AND SHE HAS BIG GOALS FOR THE FUTURE OF UNIFIED SPORTS AT WEST STOKES. I’D LIKE TO SEE POWERLIFTING AND ROLLER SKATING, TENNIS, SOFTBALL. I’D LIKE TO SEE AS MANY SPORTS AS WE CAN HAVE AVAILABLE SWIMMING IN STOKES COUNTY BECAUSE IT’S JUST NOTHING BUT. ONCE YOU GET YOUR FEET IN AND YOU SEE THE RESPONSE AND YOU SEE THE ATHLETES AND YOU SEE AND YOU MEET THE OTHER VOLUNTEERS, THERE’S NOT GOING BACK. IT’S IT’S A WONDERFUL TIME. WE ALREADY KNOW HOW MARSHALL FEELS ABOUT IT. HERE’S WHAT MITZI SAYS ABOUT BEING A HERO AND NOT JUST TO HER 23 YEAR OLD SON. I WAS COMPLETELY CAUGHT OFF GUARD AND I’M NOT MUCH OF A CRIER, BUT I DID CRY AND TOLD HIM THAT I JUST DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY BECAUSE I’D STILL BE DOING THE SAME THING, EVEN IF I JUST DIDN’T MEAN TO DO IT BECAUSE IT’S A GOOD THING AND IT’S TO ME IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. AND IT’S IN MY HEART TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND TRY TO MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. FOR OUR SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES. WHEN MARSHALL ISN’T BOWLING, HE’S ALSO AN ENTREPRENEUR. ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, THE BRITS LAUNCHED HAND IN HAND COFFEE COMPANY, WHICH EMPLOYS LOCA