Apollo High School

Very recently, Mr. Billy Ray Cartwright received the "Hero Among Us" award at the second largest crowd ever at Freedom Hall during a Louisville and Cincinnati basketball game. This "humbling experience" as he put it, was bestowed upon him on January 14, 2004.

The award was set up by Rick Pitino after 9/11 to recognize people who make their community a better place to live, save lives, and those who dedicate themselves to helping and changing the lives of others. Needless to say, Mr. Cartwright has done more than his share of helping others in his great life.

Cartwright has been at Apollo since the doors first swung open. For thirty years, he has taught math, coached swimming and track, and served as the athletic director. As of now, and for the last seven years, he teaches special needs children as a volunteer, specifically named "job coach".

His greatest reward, he says, is seeing any Eagle family member succeed in life. When he sees his students succeed at jobs and get hired, or go to college and make something of their life, he cannot express his joy. The box filled with over two hundred letters of thanks is what he lives for, and what drives him in life.

He says what keeps his powerful momentum to help people always at the top, is his desire to help others. When he was growing, he got constant help from people, and this is his way of repaying them.

As of now, Cartwright will be lobbying and testifying before our states legislature concerning the education budget. There had been plans for research branches in Owensboro and Madisonville, however, U of L has lost funding for their cancer institution and research, due to budget cuts by the governor. Therefore, Mr. Cartwright is traveling to Frankfort to work to get it back.

Mr. Cartwright stated as long as he is alive he will constantly try new adventures and on March 3rd, he has devised a new project. He is going to Anchorage, Alaska for the Iditarod! The Iditarod is an Alaskan dogsled race, and Mr. Cartwright will be racing for the first 24 hours. Congratulations, Mr. Cartwright, you're a hero!