"Just
wanted to let you know that I received numerous
excellent comments on Aaron Thomas’ presentation!
The theme of his talk was used and repeated by
many of the speakers throughout the conference.
It was a great message and we certainly enjoyed
it. It is exactly what we wanted to accomplish
with our keynote speaker!"
~LeRoy Janssen, Meeting
Coordinator, Nebr. Assoc. of County Officials
"Aaron Thomas spoke on our campus to an audience of students, staff and community members. Making arrangements with Aaron and MidAmerica Speaker’s Bureau was very easy. The MSB staff communicated quickly about the details of his visit and Aaron was very personable and gracious when talking with our students."
Additional comments from audience members included:
'In my opinion, Aaron was the most relatable speaker we've had to date. His story was inspiring, the story was close to 'home', and it was relevant to all who attended.'
'I love how he inspired me to be better in every aspect of my life. I left the event feeling motivated to not only be better in my own life, but in the lives of those around me.'
'Excellent message for our students...very engaging, very positive.'
I highly recommend Aaron Thomas as a speaker for your next event.”
~Tim Borchers, VP for Academic Affairs, Peru State College
Comments from the 2015 Nebraska
Insurance Leaders Forum on 4-16-15:
“Aaron Thomas is one of the best speakers I have
ever heard…top 5 for sure. Totally impressed ...
wish he had been on the main stage the last day
with clients in the room!!”
“Aaron
Thomas was outstanding...what a heart touching
story & the reason I am in this business.”
“Aaron
Thomas was the best part of the entire forum!”
“There is no question that Aaron Thomas' story
was incredible!
“Aaron
was fabulous!”
Aaron's presentation was engaging and inspirational!”
“Aaron
Thomas delivered a great message on attitude in
a very powerful delivery!”
"I
just wanted to let you know your talk was wonderful
tonight here in Rochester , MN. Today you spoke
at Lourdes High School and made such and impression
on my 17 year old daughter, Becca, that she came
home after track practice and showed me the video
of your dad's story. I came to hear you speak
tonight because she told me I really had to hear
you. You mentioned wondering if you are making
an impact in people's lives like your father did.
I just wanted to let you know you ARE! My daughter
was so moved by your talk and wished she had talked
to you afterwards. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance
to tell you this in person tonight. I am very
emotional and would have lost it talking to you.
I hope you realize the great things you are doing,
especially to have such an impact on my daughter.
THANK YOU....I look forward to reading your Dad's
book."
~Vicki Brennan
"Aaron
Thomas' presentation is one that companies, organizations,
educators and youth all can benefit from. Aaron
clearly demonstrates the passion and good nature
of the late Ed Thomas, and will leave your guests
feeling empowered to take pride in their community
and lead by example. A wonderful story teller,
Aaron truly cares about making a difference in
other's lives and will definitely impact yours
with his amazing story of courage and overcoming
adversity."
~Hilary Dunn, Ankeny, Iowa
Area Chamber of Commerce Events Coordinator
AARON
THOMAS Living as a "True Difference
Maker"
BIO:
Aaron
Thomas' father, Ed, was a beloved high school football
coach, who not only trained generations of players
on the importance of hard work, dedication, excellence,
and commitment, but personally put those values into
action as the community leader who inspired his town
to rebuild in the wake of a deadly EF5 tornado. Not
long after the community withstood the disaster of
the storm, the small town of Parkersburg, Iowa endured
a far worse tragedy…the fatal shooting of Coach
Ed Thomas by a former player with mental issues.
Following
his father’s murder, Aaron was approached to
return home to take over Ed's responsibilities as
athletic director, and to continue the legacy his
father had built in being not only a school leader,
but in being an example for the town to follow. Aaron,
his wife Ellie, and their three sons moved back to
Parkersburg one month after his father was murdered.
Rather
than shun the family of their father's murderer and
perpetuate the tragedy Parkersburg faced, Aaron and
his family called for understanding and forgiveness,
because that's what Ed Thomas would have wanted them
to do.
In
this incredible story of ordinary people thrust into
an extraordinary situation, Aaron Thomas shares his
family's journey of showing uncommon strength during
the darkest of times. Aaron will discuss how to deal
with adversity and how to make the most of all opportunities.
You will be challenged to look at your life, your
family, and your organization to see if you are being
a true difference maker. He and his family are the
recipients of the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage presented
at the 2010 ESPY Awards, for being the people Ed Thomas
would have expected. Aaron also received the Missouri
Valley Conference 2010 Most Courageous Award.
Aaron
has spoken from coast-to-coast, sharing his story
with college, high school and middle school students,
along with a variety of businesses, associations,
organizations, and churches. His talk is centered
around the life lessons his father taught him and
others-emphasizing that the greatest gift any of us
has been given is the power to choose, that each of
us has the ability, the right, and the privilege to
live each day with passion for what we do, and how
each of us can truly make a difference in the world.
The
Sacred Acre: The Ed Thomas Story After
a tornado struck the town of Parkersburg, Iowa,
killing eight people and destroying 250 homes
and businesses, football coach, Ed Thomas, made
a stunning prediction: “God willing, we
will play our first home game here on this field
this season.” One hundred days later,
the home team scored a victory on the field
they dubbed “The Sacred Acre.” But
just as Parkersburg was recovering, while working
with a group of football and volleyball players
early one morning, one of Ed’s former
students walked in and gunned him down point
blank. Ed Thomas was 58. What happened next
proves that even a double tragedy is no match
for faith, love… and the power of forgiveness.
SPEECH
TOPICS:
"The
Sacred Acre: The Ed Thomas Story"
Aaron's talk resonates deeply with all types of audiences, whether
they be corporations, associations, fundraisers or faith
based events. He
also speaks to college, high school and middle school students,
and teachers nationwide. The
“difference” in Aaron’s talk is that
there isn’t an audience in the country that wouldn’t
benefit greatly from hearing this inspiring story!
"Aaron Thomas was the motivational speaker at our annual conference. The feedback from everyone attending the conference was very positive. He touched all of us when relating how he and his family dealt with loss, grief, violence and adversity. He took this to the next level when sharing how to move forward in life with a positive outlook."
~Mary Jo Ungry, Chat Mobility
"Aaron Thomas blew our teammates away! We were lucky enough to have Aaron speak at three young professional events and the response was outstanding! His message is extremely powerful…one we can all relate to! If you book Aaron, you will NOT be disappointed! The MSB team and Aaron were fantastic to work with, and we look forward to working with them again!"
~Alexis Maust, Retail Support Specialist, Farm Credit Services of America
