YellaWood® Names Cathy Dowdy 2026 Five-Star Hero

A life spent caring for children, family and community is honored through YellaWood’s annual Five-Star Hero program

ABBEVILLE, Ala.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Great Southern Wood Preserving, Inc., makers of YellaWood® brand pressure treated pine, today announced Cathy Dowdy as its 2026 Five-Star Hero, honoring a woman whose life was defined by service, compassion and extraordinary courage.

More than a single moment, this recognition celebrates the way Cathy lived. She spent over three decades as an educator, caring for and guiding children with the same devotion she brought to her family and community. In 2024, when a child was caught in a rip tide near Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, she acted without hesitation to rescue him. It was a selfless act that reflected the person she had always been.

“This honor is about the way Cathy showed up for people every day,” said Mark Callender, President and CEO of Great Southern Wood Preserving. “Her courage was extraordinary, but it didn’t come out of nowhere. It came from a lifetime of putting others first. That’s what makes her a Five-Star Hero.”

After the incident, Cathy endured a long and difficult recovery marked by the same strength that shaped her life. She later passed away from complications associated with pneumonia. For her family, friends and all those whose lives she touched, her legacy remains one of uncommon generosity, resilience and love.

Cathy’s husband, Mike Dowdy, will accept the honor on her behalf during race weekend at the YellaWood 500 on Oct. 25 at Talladega Superspeedway, where he will serve as the race’s Honorary Starter.

“Even after she retired from teaching, Cathy kept caring for children because that was where her heart was,” said Dowdy. “So many families stayed in touch with Cathy over the years because she left a mark on their lives. Children loved her and parents trusted her, and that says everything about the kind of person she was.”

In tribute to Cathy, YellaWood® will also make a $10,000 charitable donation in her honor. Dowdy has chosen to direct the funds to two charitable foundations: $5,000 to the College of Coastal Georgia, where a scholarship for nursing students will be established, and $5,000 to the Hospice of the Golden Isles, where the donation will support hospice staff.

“We’re so tickled that her legacy will live on, and years from now, people can find what she did, and it can be an inspiration,” said Dowdy. “We’re humbled and grateful to YellaWood® for honoring her in a way that recognizes who she truly was.”

The Five-Star Hero program was created to celebrate everyday unsung heroes doing extraordinary things for others.

For more information about the Five-Star Hero program, visit YellaWoodHero.com.

About Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated

Great Southern Wood Preserving, Incorporated, was founded in 1970 in Abbeville, Ala. Today, Great Southern Wood and its subsidiaries employ more than 2,000 people operating from 16 strategically located treating plants serving all or parts of 28 states and the District of Columbia, as well as international markets. The company is best known to consumers as the maker of YellaWood® brand pressure treated pine. YellaWood® brand products are recognized by consumers, professional builders, architects and specifiers for quality and dependability and are easily identified by the distinctive little Yella Tag. For more information, visit YellaWood.com.