Gov. DeSantis hosts ‘Florida’s Heroes’ at Governor’s Mansion

For Gov. Ron DeSantis, there are many ways to define a hero.

There’s Lake County Master Deputy Bradley Link, who was shot in an ambush last August as he responded at the end of his shift to a disturbance in Eustis. Two other deputies were wounded trying to rescue Link, who later died from his wounds.

But there’s also Dean Inserra, pastor of Tallahassee’s City Church, who partnered with DeSantis to oppose last year’s failed ballot initiative that would have created a right to abortion in the state constitution. He also has partnered with First Lady Casey DeSantis in her Hope Florida effort, often described as a conservative alternative to traditional welfare.

They and dozens of others were honored Friday night in a “Florida’s Heroes” event held on the front lawn of the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee. Link and Patricia Meyerin, a Habitat for Humanity volunteer in Taylor County after Hurricane Helene, were recognized posthumously; she died unexpectedly just days earlier.

Two-year-old Griffin Anderson, fighting cancer and recovering from an arm amputation, came to the stage in his father’s arms. He was honored for “remarkable resilience, inspiring everyone around him with his strength and courage.”

The gathering was “to honor people that really have done above and beyond, to do great things on behalf of the community and their fellow man,” said DeSantis, standing next to his wife and Department of Juvenile Justice Secretary Eric Hall, who served as master of ceremonies.

Another honoree was Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Orlando Morales, who rescued the dog later known as “Trooper” from being tied up to a fence along Interstate 75 in Tampa as category 4 Hurricane Milton barreled toward Florida.

Coincidentally on Friday night, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican, held the kickoff for his 2026 run for Florida governor in Bonita Springs.

Casey DeSantis, who didn’t deliver remarks Friday, may be considering her own campaign to succeed her husband, according to multiple reports. When asked about it at a conservative summit in Maryland earlier in March, she said, “We’ll see.”

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Jim Rosica is a member of the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @JimRosicaFL.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: From first responders to volunteers: DeSantis salutes ‘Florida heroes’