For the City Times

MADISON – The Bob and Diane Biadasz family is a 2019-20 recipient of the Wisconsin State Assembly Hometown Hero Award.

On Feb. 11, Rep. Katrina Shankland (D- Stevens Point) welcomed Bob and Diane and their family, including Amy Tryba, Lisa Grezenski, and Megan Check, to the State Capitol to receive the award.

The Assembly Hometown Heroes program recognizes individuals from around the state who make a difference in their communities and in the lives of those around them.

In 2016, the Biadasz family tragically lost their son, Mike, when he was agitating a manure pit and was overcome by the hydrogen sulfide gas. After their loss, the Biadasz family created the Mike Biadasz Farm Safety and Education Memorial Fund to ensure farmers are educated on the dangers of manure pit agitation and are trained in prevention strategies.

They have hosted numerous safety workshops and fundraising events, raising tens of thousands of dollars to support farm safety and help farmers with rebates for gas monitors. This Thursday, they are hosting a farmer appreciation in Amherst, which exemplifies the outreach and support they continue to provide to our farmers.

“Because of Bob and Diane Biadasz’s efforts, Mike’s legacy lives on with the farmers who have been touched by their outreach and education. Bob and Diane richly deserve the Hometown Hero award, the highest honor in the Assembly, and I thank them and their family for turning a truly heartbreaking loss into a tremendous opportunity to make a difference,” said Rep. Katrina Shankland.

“Not only is the Biadasz family some of the most humble, kind, loving, and caring people I’ve ever known, they are exemplary and selfless leaders in our community and state. Their willingness to relive the worst day of their lives in order to prevent it from happening to any other farmer in Wisconsin truly makes them Hometown Heroes.”