Penguins and 84 Lumber Gift Home Renovations to Vietnam War Hero

When Frank 'Mike' Hepler answered the door of his Gibsonia home expecting a plumber, he was shocked to see Phil Bourque and Iceburgh standing on his front porch.

They were there to present Hepler with a gift that will fix so much more than a leaky toilet.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and 84 Lumber teamed up to provide Hepler - a Vietnam veteran who dedicated his life to the Boys and Girls Club after returning home from the war - with $50,000 in home renovations as part of their Home for a Hero platform.

"It's just a small way to say thank you for this incredible life that you've had," Bourque told Hepler, who struggled to find the right words to describe what transpired in the doorway of his antiquated 130-year-old farmhouse, which needs updating not from an aesthetic standpoint, but from a lifesaving standpoint. "Overwhelming," he said. "(The money) will be used to make my life so much easier."

Hepler has a form of Parkinson's disease that has caused his health to rapidly deteriorate over the last few years, and believes his exposure to the tactical herbicide Agent Orange while in Vietnam has been a major factor in the severity of his illness.

These funds will allow Hepler to place a railing or ramp that will make it easier for him to get in and out of the house; add a first-floor bedroom that will also help with mobility issues; and take care of small projects that will make a big difference from an accessibility standpoint.

"When I saw that check for 50,000 dollars, I did think it wasn't real," Hepler said. "The gratitude I have for 84 Lumber and the Pittsburgh Penguins is over the top. Because I know (from my experience) whenever you invest in people or agencies, you do your homework, you do your job. You make sure that whatever gift you're giving or whatever grant you're giving, it's going to the right person for the right reason. What happened here today, I hope I'm the right reason!"

He absolutely is, as Hepler couldn't be more deserving. Amy Smiley, Vice President of Marketing at 84 Lumber, read lots of submissions for Home for a Hero, as it's a nomination-based campaign for Penguins fans to submit the story of a meritorious current or former military member for the chance to win this life-changing opportunity.

To her, Hepler's remarkable story stood out "because he has given back so much through his service in the military, and also through his service through the Boys and Girls Club here in Pittsburgh," Smiley said.

Raised by a single mother in a public housing project in McKees Rocks, Hepler enlisted in the Army straight out of high school. As a Staff Sergeant, Helper served as a machine gunner and cavalry scout. During his years in the military, Hepler received multiple awards, including a Silver Star and a Purple Heart after taking a bullet from an AK-47 that ricocheted off a rock, which is still lodged in his spine.

When Hepler returned to civilian life, he wanted to give back to the Boys and Girls Club that helped save his life and keep him off the streets while growing up poor. Mike worked for the organization, which strives to activate and advance the potential of youth through their programs, services and outreach, for 50 years - retiring as president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania in 2018.

Mike also raised three children, daughter Jenny and sons Jeremy and Michael, saying he's blessed to have beautiful kids with good morals and values. They admire their father so much, particularly for his unwavering optimism through good times and bad.

"He always told us no matter what you want to achieve, you can do that. There's no excuses. There's no can't," Jenny said. "So, me and my brothers have always followed that throughout our lives. So, to see him go through something really difficult now with his Parkinson's and for it to take away some of his ability, but that he still stays so positive… it's incredible."

Hepler has been a hero to so many people throughout his life, but for Mike, that role was filled by his older brother Ray. He also served in Vietnam, with Mike saying, "he just loved his country so much." When Ray died in 2021, he was buried in his Army fatigues.

"And just before he passed away, he had his leather jacket made up with a beautiful insignia of the United States Army on the back of it. He never got to wear it, so his wife gave it to me the day of the funeral, and I wore that to the funeral," Mike said.

Ray actually passed away after having a fall, which was a wake-up call for Mike when it came to making changes in the house. So, every now and then, the kids tell him to pick a day for them to come and help out with projects around the house and in the yard, which is why Mike thought they were all over on this particular summer afternoon… until the doorbell rang.

"This is something that's really going to make a difference in his life. It's help that he needs and he's too proud to ask for help a lot of the time," Jenny said. "This is a way to help a hero. Sometimes they need a little bit of help, too."