UGG® Australia

My dear dad, my hero Where do I begin? My dear dad escaped from Hungary in 1956 with only the clothes on his back. He was 18 years old. He has worked in construction for 50 years to provide for our family and even today, at 75 years old he is still working. He did the best job he could to raise us and always provided for us. But the most amazing gift he gave us was loving us unconditionally, no matter what. The love he and my mother gave us, I have never seen or experienced in any other family. How lucky we are to be raised by such a loving man.

Conrad K. 

My husband Conrad, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at 30 years old, in June of 2011. He underwent 2 aggressive brain surgeries and 6 weeks of radiation. Conrad was approved for Social Security Disability for the rest of his life. He would have made the same amount of money on SS as he made going to work everyday for the City of Sisters. Conrad pushed and pushed the doctors to release him to go back to work as soon as they would allow. He passed on the Social Security Disability to go back to work with the mind set that regardless of what the doctors and statistics told him about his diagnosis he was going to LIVE and by choosing to live that meant going on with life as usual. Conrad has MRI's every four months and for the past two years he has had clear MRI's (his diagnosis is an antiplastic astrocytoma stage III aggressive brain cancer). I believe that because Conrad decided that this cancer was not going to beat him, he is beating the cancer. To me that makes Conrad a game changer. It's all in your mind and what you choose to believe.

This man is the hardest worker I know. He does it all so his family can have everything they need. He works physical labor 7 days a week from before the sun rises until after the sun goes down, most says are 15 hours. He hardly stops to eat or take a break. He never asks for anything for himself, he just wants his family to have a roof over their head and be able to give them what they want and need. He had nothing and has always worked for what he needs. He never gives up until what he wants to get done is accomplished. He is my hero and should be a role model for all men especially married man supporting a family out there.  

My Fiancé is a great man. He is quite and does not like to take credit, for anything he does. He believes you just have to do what needs to be done to help others. He has spent all of his adult life taking care of his father, who suffers from mental illness. None of his other sibling would help him. So from the time he was 12 or 13 until now at 30 years old he has made sure that is father is taken care of. He had has had him live with him and make sure that everything his dad has needed is there. Money, food etc. He has never thought twice because he believed that it was his job. He does whatever he can not only for his dad but for family and friends or for anyone who needs help. He just does it, he is am amazing person and I believe that he should be recognized for what he has done. Because he doesn't see what he does as something special, when it actually is. Not many people would do what he does and never question what he is doing or if he will ever receive help from those he has helped!

  He is amazing, and  l LOVE, Brandon very much xoxo

Name: Heriberto "Laredo" M.

This man is my grandfather, Heriberto "Laredo" Medellin. When my father left me on the day I was born, he took me in his arms and told my mother that he would raise me and be my father figure. He is a Korean Veteran, leaving school in the 9th grade to serve his country. He worked his whole life to provide for his family and my sister and I with only an eighth grade education. He has never let me down and sacrificed his wants and needs to make sure that I graduated high school and college. Giving the last $100 in his savings to help me purchase school books. I know that without his support, I would not be where I am today. My goal is to be as wise as he is and as strong as he has been for me. He has given me the model for how men should be and what to look for in my spouse. My husband respects my grandfather and sees him as a man of great character, as I do. He has never been to turn away a person in need, and he continues to help those in need, even after being robbed by a person that he tried to help out. It did not change his mind in the kindness of humanity, and he prays that those people needed the money more than he did and forgives them. I have tried my whole like to repay him for all he has done, and I was able to give him the gift that he he ensured that I received. In June of 2011, he received his high school diploma from Alice High School in Alice, Texas. Almost 50 years to the day in which he would have graduated from AHS in 1951. He does not save lives for a living, and is not the millionaire philanthropist that you may be looking for, but he gives with all he has and saved my life from being left without a father figure to look up to. 

Brian D. 

Very excited to nominate Brian for the Men of Character award.  He's a visual artist (and new father to twin boys) working in the fine art world as well as the streets - whether his medium is cut paper or aerosol cans his work depicting both the everyday and the imaginary always strands out from everyone else. 

Michael C.  

Stoked to nominate Michael for the UGG Men of Character campaign, whether he's cooking an elaborate dinner for 12 on the NYC subway, or planning and hosting a 100 course dinner for hedge fund managers he's always raising the culinary bar and pushing the limits of what it means to eat a meal.  

I am nominating Steve R.  Not only did he choose to raise my brother and myself as his true children, even though he was my stepdad, but he has also always made the effort to make sure my own son has a positive male role model in his life.  I've been a single mom since he was 2 years old and sometimes a boy just needs a guy in his life!  Not only has he always been there for us, but he has worked as a CPA and ran his own business for years now, just to make sure my entire family is always taken care of.  He's an amazing guy and definitely deserves everything the world has to offer him!

Tyler R.

This man is recklessly determined to make an impact through art.  Tyler R. is an inspiration to us all…he has become a well known artist not by focusing on himself but rather putting all his energy into helping the world. Just about every other painting he creates, he donates the work or profit to non-profits and focuses on amplifying their voice in communities. He has helped girls in Liberia escape brothels, orphaned children in India, moms needing diapers in Los Angeles, homeless on skid row, poverty stricken families in Panama and the list goes on and on. By doing so, he has gained the attention of art collectors such as UN Ban Ki Moon, Bill Clinton, Prime Minister of Tibet, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Surlief, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, TOMS Tyler Ramsey Line, etc. He truly embodies energy and passion that is “more than himself” and only in doing so he has found success.

Franco. S He has achieved his goals of being a loving and loyal husband, a dedicated and patient father, and a determined and great soldier. He has delpoyed to Afghanistan and Iraq and each time coming back with more intellect, integrity, courage, bravery, and determination. He continously sets greater goals for himself and achieves them. He is an amazing soldier, having competed in several soldier of the month competitions and repeatedly won them. He is now a E5 SGT and is enrolling in every Army training or school he can to gain more knowledge, because this career interests him so much. In this career fitness is a must, so his physic is always important to him, going over and beyond in his physical training every morning of the work week. He may be one of the last men coming home at the end of the work day and that is because he wants to be known as a good soldier and worker. He always dreamed to be a great father as well as a great soldier. He proves this everyday, hugging our son when our 13 month old son runs in his fathers arms after he hears him coming through the front door. I am rarely able to get Aden and Aden’s attention back because they are so involved in “Daddy and Son Time.” I watch in love with the blessing of being able to have this family. And lastly but not least he has proved himself a wonderful husband, helping me in every decision I make, being there for me when I need him and when I don’t. Loving, caring, providing, and appreciating Aden and I every single day.

This is my fiancé Tom Q.

Years ago, Tom hit rock bottom, losing all family ties and becoming homeless. Through hard work & dedication he has secured an apartment, regained relationships with his family & now works for his Dad as a licensed apprentice plumber. Tom is currently in school and taking the journeyman plumber test soon. In August 2014 he will marry his fiancé Kaylee and once again show the world that neither his difficult past nor the struggles posed by living with the metabolic disorder PKU will ever keep him down. He is a hard working role model for anyone struggling in life and a true character in every sense of the word. Tom never gives up and he is always there to help those in need.

Ronnie K.

Ronnie K. has been working on creating a grassroots movement that would aim to celebrate our diversity, but more importantly it would focus on the things we all share in common. Ronnie teamed up with Elliot L. had who had been interviewing youth on what it is like to grow up and their experience of being bullied. Together they collaborated to create the Friend Movement (www.FriendMovement.com). Friend is a hybrid of a feature film and photo-campaign grass roots movement.  This grass-root effort inspires people to prevent bullying by enabling them to be a better friend; providing entertaining and educational resources, cultivating global partnerships, and leveraging the latest social media technology. Friend Movement was created to help show positive anti-bully images through art and media. Images of people of all ages, race, gender, sexuality, and spirituality that invoke inspiration & conversation. Friend movement inspires people to prevent bullying by enabling them to be a better friend. As part of this movement, Ronnie and his team have begun a 921-mile walk from Chicago to NYC. At each mile a purple ribbon is being tied in memory of someone lost too soon to bullying. Today on spirit day this nomination carries even greater meaning. This walk will culminate on Nov 10, 2013 on that bridge where Tyler C. left us as result of bullying. Ronnie is a supermodel, actor/director & an activist. He is truly deserving of this award and I am very proud to nominate him. 

Beau F.

When I get up in the morning, the chickens are clucking, the bees are buzzing, the birds are chirping.  My brother Beau in his pursuit of education learned the major lesson we all should learn, that biodiversity self sufficency, and organic farming are not only good for us but the earth itself.  He has transformed a yard into a small farm with bee hives, innoculated mushroom logs, and a huge diversity of plants, flowers, and vegetables most from seed.  Mind you this passion was like a seed itself planted many years ago and watered and tended too daily.  Now he plans on making a difference in disabled adults lives by working with them to maintain a farm.  He isn't there yet with his accomplishments, though he will be uprooting his life here, to find himself doing that or something just as meaningful.  He is a truly gifted man, when he produces his vision it's a living, working, necessary and beautiful scenary that he creates.  I am writting this as his older sister, I have a mental disabilty and was diagnosed at 21 with it, my brother witnessed every hardship and hurdle I was encountering and it helped shape his veiws of reality creating a strong man at a young age

My brother is still learning all the time what he wants out of life, he is realistic and caring when he creates goals and he has shown to be extremly interested in biodynamic farming for many years teaching himself mostly, how to care for the earth and others.  This exceptional man does wear ugg boots a comfortable, good looking, durable choice for a young passionate farmer.

Ode H. is the kind if person that will go the extra mile to make someone smile. I met this person at a summer camp in 2001 that helps disabled adults and children have enjoyable summer.  He created fun activities and made each person in his path feel special. He entertained all the children with his ability to dj all the functions. He enjoyed doing this so much that when he completed his summer he contined to dj the functions free of charge ever since then. He since then still enjoys his passion of helping people. He continues to follow his dream of helping others and paying it forward. Im proud to nominate such a positive role model for future kids.

Eddie F. ~ Eddie is a people person who enjoys fashion, nature and his UGGs, I nominate him for being a social butterfly and standing up for what he believes in!