Exchange Club announces July hometown hero

The Round Lake Area Exchange Club has named U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Bradley Bertram of Ingleside as its July hometown hero.

Bertram was registered for this honor by his father, Bill Bertram of Round Lake. Bradley Bertram is a 2009 graduate of Grant High School, and he has been in the Air Force for five years, currently serving in Texas and preparing to be deployed.

Bertram graduated from the Air Force Community College in 2015 with an associate degree in meteorology. He has received the honor graduate basic training, distinguished graduate weather forecaster school, distinguished graduate weather radar school and distinguished graduate airmen leadership school.

With the support of this month's sponsor, Robert E. Frank Real Estate, Inc., Bertram's "Hanging with the Heroes" care package will be sent to him during his deployment and will include beef jerky, power bars and other snacks, a personalized "Hanging with the Heroes" T-shirt donated by Artrageous of Hainesville, a piece of home and letters from Round Lake Area Unit District 116 students.

The Round Lake Area Exchange Club will present a plaque on his behalf Wednesday, July 27, at their meeting in Round Lake.

The Round Lake Area Exchange Club needs your help in getting our local heroes signed up. Any and all military personnel serving overseas or in the USA from any of the Round Lake-area communities, Hainesville, Fox Lake, Ingleside or surrounding areas qualify for the program. You can register your loved ones by going to www.rlaexchange.org/hero.

For more information, visit the website or call the program chair Sherry Ridge at (847) 740-2379.