The BRAD Scholarship

The Brad Scholarship is now accepting applications! Please encourage the students in your life who might qualify to apply for it. It is not a difficult application to complete (no submitting letters of recommendation, SAT/ACT scores, certified class rank, etc.). Applicants can choose between submitting a video response and writing an essay. The committee’s goal is to get money into the hands of students who will use it in pursuit of an agricultural education or career, or an ag-adjacent education or career.

The “ag education or career” is pretty self-explanatory: The applicant plans to join the family farm, become a large-animal veterinarian, work at an equipment dealership as a diesel tech, and so on.

But what is meant by “ag-adjacent education or career”? This is someone who wants to become a doctor and practice in a rural area, be the ag teacher and FFA sponsor in a high school, get a mechanical engineering degree to work in product development at one of the major equipment manufacturers, open a small-town grocery store, or become the police chief in their hometown. Ag-adjacent education and careers are vital to agriculture, but don’t involve actually growing the crops, fixing the tractors and raising the cattle.

Applications are due April 4, which would be Brad’s 44th birthday. If you have questions, you’re welcome to contact us. Please apply, encourage the students in your life to apply, and spread the word. (And yes, feel free to share this post!)

A scholarship flyer for the Bradley Heil Memorial Advancing Agriculture Scholarship, detailing application information, eligibility criteria, and a QR code for online application. Deadline for applications is April 4, 2026, with a minimum award of $500.

ORIGINAL POST from Nov 2, 2021

Many of you have heard by now that Brad Heil was seriously injured in an accident in Nebraska. This photo is of the Life Flight helicopter that carried him to the hospital. We want you to know the facts about what happened — no fake news here.

Two firefighters and three emergency personnel walking across grassy terrain towards a helicopter.

Saturday morning, Brad took a load of corn to the elevator in a farmer’s tandem truck and pup trailer. The brakes on the truck locked up as he was leaving the elevator. Brad was working to fix the problem when the brakes inexplicably released. We don’t know why. The truck duals rolled over his chest and his hips, and the steering tire went over his left leg just below his knee.

Help was on the scene immediately. He was taken by helicopter to a hospital, stabilized and flown to a Level 1 trauma center in Omaha. He is currently in the ICU there in critical condition with numerous serious injuries.

It is a miracle that he is alive. His heart and lungs were severely bruised, some bones were broken in his pelvis, he has a major muscle torn in his left side, and he has a cracked bone in his lower left leg. He’s got a lot of scrapes and bad bruises. His brain, spine and other internal organs appear to be uninjured at this time.

The bruises to his heart and lungs are the most worrisome problems; the other issues are expected to heal in time (surgery will be done on his pelvis, but that is the only surgery the doctors currently are planning).

There are NO GUARANTEES and his current condition is critical. He has good times and bad times every day. His injuries are severe. However, it’s expected that he will heal and return to normal life.

We are so thankful to God for so many things: Brad wasn’t killed. He wasn’t on a deserted road in the middle of nowhere (as we often are), so there was help on the scene immediately. Nobody else was hurt. The EMTs, flight team, doctors and nurses have been incredible. He lived through some really scary times in terms of his heart and lung function Saturday night — he almost died, but he pulled through. His internal organs, spine and brain appear to have escaped injury entirely. The list of things to be thankful for goes on and on.

So many people have been truly amazing with offers of help and support, and we are so thankful and grateful. We don’t know of any material way in which you can help us at this time, but we will speak up if anything comes up.

We do ask that if you are a praying person, please pray for rapid healing and relief from pain for Brad, for wisdom, skill and guidance for his medical team, and for patience and endurance for his family. The road to healing is going to be long; there will be setbacks that will have to be overcome.

And, last but not least, if you are able to donate blood, please donate blood. You’re not helping Brad directly, but you are helping. He is alive right now because of the blood and blood products he received while they worked to stabilize him after the accident, and they were available because someone, somewhere donated blood.

We’ll try to keep you updated. Thank you for your concern and prayers!

A smiling woman wearing sunglasses poses for a selfie with a man and a child. The man carries the child on his shoulders, and the child holds a stuffed animal. They are in an outdoor setting with a blue sky and cornfield in the background.

Promotional image for the Bradley Heil Memorial Advancing Agriculture Scholarship, featuring information on raising $25,000 for endowment, a QR code for donations, and contact details.

The funeral service for Brad Heil began at noon (MST) on Friday, Nov. 12, at the Limon Public School gym at 874 F Ave. in Limon, Colorado. A meal followed.

Thank you all for your many kind expressions of condolence and concern. They are welcomed and appreciated. Please continue to pray for comfort and peace for our family and for Brad’s many friends during this time of loss and grief.