Air Force officer from Oklahoma City nominated for online site’s ‘Inspiring’ award

Zach Bonner, 12, was recently named Beliefnet’s Most Inspiring Person of the Year for 2009. Bonner, of Tampa, Fla., created a nonprofit called the Little Red Wagon Foundation and led several national initiatives to raise awareness of and to help homeless children.

He was among several nominees, including Oklahoman Capt. Katie Illingworth, up for the inspirational online community’s annual award.

Award nominees were sent in by readers, and readers’ voted on the finalists. Voting closed Dec. 12.

Illingworth, of Oklahoma City, was a nominated along with her colleague Maj. Tobin Griffeth, of McKinney, Texas, for their Operation Red River Cares charity drive. The two Air Force officers started the effort while serving at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan.

Through the charity drive, people sent donations of warm clothes, shoes and school supplies for Afghans. Some sent boxes marked "Texas,” while others sent boxes marked "Oklahoma,” having a bit of fun with the Red River rivalry — for a good cause.

Read more about the award and all the nominees online at www.Beliefnet.com.