LEXINGTON, Ky. — Ralph Coldiron, his family and members of the Kentucky Children's Hospital celebrated with a special cup of coffee from drive-thru chain 7 Brew in Lexington. 

The chain highlights individuals across the country helping improve their communities. Someone new is picked each month as a 7 Brew Hero, with Coldiron being December's selection. 

The 7 Brew Heroes campaign was created by the coffee company as a $500 gift to one person each month inspiring kindness in their communities around the country. At the end of the year, Coldiron and 11 others could earn a $10,000 reward for their commitment to helping people, organizations and places such as the children's hospital. 

"[It's] the perfect example of, let's create a competition, let's go out there and get people to buy coffee and help people," he said. 

Coldiron has helped develop several projects across downtown Lexington such as the Marriott City Center. He has served on the board of the Kentucky Children's Hospital for nearly 30 years and was on a development board that helped build the hospital 28 years ago.   

The hospital sees nearly 7,300 inpatient and 170,000 outpatient visits a year from families such as Courtney Woomer's and her daughter Maisie. 

“Having a child with complex needs, I don't know what we would do if we weren't so close to the [hospital]," Woomer said. "It would be so difficult.”

Coldiron's dedication to the children’s hospital was inspired by his daughter Katie's time there years ago. Katie is now a parent and married to a neonatologist now working at the hospital, making it a full-circle moment for Coldiron, his family and children.