HORACE, N.D., September 30, 2024– Bill Gross was named Daily Point of Light Award No. 7910 by Points of Light, a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips, and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world.
Raised on a farm in North Dakota, Gross’s passion to serve farm and ranch families was informed by his own family’s hardships during the Farm Crisis of the 1980s. Despite leaving the farm to become a commercial pilot, he vowed to return to offer a helping hand to families that experience crises that threaten their operations and legacies. And return he did, founding Farm Rescue in 2005. Since then, Gross has served in a volunteer capacity as Farm Rescue’s President, engaging hundreds more volunteers to provide vital planting, haying, harvesting, and other support to over 1,100 families.
“At Farm Rescue, we believe that giving is a blessing,” said Gross. “For nearly 20 years, my life and the lives of so many volunteers have been blessed through service to farm and ranch families. I am humbled to join the ranks of so many amazing volunteers through the Daily Point of Light Award.”
The Daily Point of Light Award uplifts individuals who lead, lend support, and take action for causes they care about on their path to leading a fully engaged civic life. The award is given five days a week as Points of Light honors individuals creating meaningful change to meet community needs, efforts that often lead to long-term solutions and impact social problems in their local communities.
President George H.W. Bush was the first president in American history to institute a daily presidential recognition program from the White House, conferring 1,020 Daily Point of Light Awards on citizens and organizations making a difference in other people’s lives and solving community problems. Points of Light continues this recognition and now has more than 7,700 honorees to date.
“The Daily Point of Light Award recognizes individuals who saw a challenge and recognized that they could be the one to use their time and talents to transform their community,” said Katie Stearns, chief program and impact officer at Points of Light. “We’re pleased to honor Bill Gross for his volunteer work and commitment to making the world a better place.” To learn more about Gross’s work, visit farmrescue.org.
About Points of Light
Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers their power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million people in 16.7 million hours of voluntary service each year. We bring the power of people to meet the most pressing needs in local communities. For more information, visit pointsoflight.org.
About Farm Rescue
Farm Rescue was founded in 2005 and has helped more than 1,100 families since its inception. The organization’s mission is to help farmers and ranchers who have experienced a major illness, injury, or natural disaster by providing the necessary equipment and volunteer labor to perform time-sensitive services. Applications for assistance are currently being accepted and can be obtained at www.farmrescue.org or by calling 701-252-2017.
