Heroes Breakfast 2026

Tickets + Sponsorships

COMING SOON

Join us at the

24th Annual Heroes Breakfast
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
7:30 - 10:00 a.m.

For the past 24 years, we have honored individuals and groups for acts of immense bravery, dedication and service to the community. Thank you for helping us celebrate the 2026 Class of Heroes!

Honoring the 2026 Class of Heroes

Learn More about the 2026 Heroes

Make a gift in honor of a Hero

Event Emcees
Joe Donlon & Irika Sargent, CBS News Chicago

Learn about our Emcees

Darrel Hackett | 2026 Honorary Chair

CEO, BMO U.S.

Darrel Hackett is Chief Executive Officer of BMO U.S., a top 10 U.S. bank by assets. He serves on BMO Financial Group's Executive Committee and chairs the U.S. Management Committee, overseeing all U.S. operations. Since joining BMO in 2004, Darrel has held leadership roles including President of BMO Wealth Management U.S., Senior Vice President & Head of North American Integrated Channels, U.S. Business Banking, and Regional President for Chicago Metro. Earlier, he worked at McKinsey & Company and began his career at General Electric. Darrel serves on the boards of the Art Institute of Chicago, Rush University Medical Center, Kids First Chicago, and United Way of Metro Chicago, and is a member of the Federal Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Board. He earned an MBA from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Cum Laude) from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Malott Family Foundation | 2026 Heritage Award

Founded in 1988, the foundation honored the philanthropic work of Robert and Elizabeth Malott, with an emphasis on K-12 education and the arts, primarily in Chicago. In particular, the Malotts have been longtime supporters of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and the Lyric Opera, among others. The Foundation's focus has expanded to include support in the areas of early childhood education, worldwide disaster relief and the domestic disaster-related climate resiliency efforts of the American Red Cross and working to preserve the nation's parks and monuments through support of the National Park Foundation.