“Reason this person is a Gold Ribbon Hero: I have known Brian since 1993 when I first began volunteering at Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, a local oncology camp for kids with cancer & their families.  Brian has been the camp director at CGT for over 20-25 years and besides leading such a tremendously helpful & supportive camp, he has done it with the most soothing, loving, supportive compassion I have ever encountered (& I’m a Social Worker so I’ve encountered LOTS of remarkable heroes, but none as remarkable as Brian).  Countless kids with cancer in their bodies &/or lives (& their parents) have found safety, comfort, security and loving support from Brian, and as a cancer survivor myself, I know full-well how incredibly helpful & beneficial such an oasis of positivity can be.  Brian may not have cured anyone’s cancer, or administered any drugs or radiation, but I can honestly say, without hyperbole, that Brian has done as much if not more to help patients & their families survive the nightmarish chaos of cancer than any non-medical provider can possibly provide.  And he’s done it painfully underpaid (non-profit work is like that, cancer-related or not), probably earning the far less than minimum wage if his salary were to be broken down hourly (during the summer when camp is at its peak, although there are also Spring, Fall, & Winter camps too), Brian’s day begins around 5am and he does not slow down until after midnight.  And he’s done this every year for the last 25 years or so, from the end of May through the beginning of September.  For these reasons and more, Brian Crater is one of my biggest heroes, role models, & inspirations, and I strongly encourage ACCO to recognize this amazing man.” – Spencer P.