Tulsa Woman Nominated For Hero Of The Year In National Magazine

Monday, January 29th 2007, 10:21 am

By: News On 6

An everyday hero is living here in Green Country. Erin Donovan is a Tulsa attorney; she was featured in â€œReaders Digestâ€ last year after she tackled a purse snatcher at Utica Square. Now, Erin is up for the magazine's Hero of the Year award, and News on 6 anchor Lori Fullbright says you can help her win.

Erin Donovan is a go-getter, brimming with energy and laughter. That's why she pretty much takes it in stride that she took on two purse snatchers last May.

"I came out of the Post Office and she was screaming, â€˜They took my purse!â€™ and she looked so distressed, so upset," Donovan said.

Erin took off running, in her business suit and high heels, clutching her newly purchased stamps in one hand and digging for her cell phone with the other, to call 911. She chased them until they jumped into a car.

"I went running up to the car, there was an older gentleman in the front seat, they'd jumped into the back and I said, do not touch that steering wheel, don't move, I've called the police and they just sat there," said Donovan.

Then, they bailed out and the chase continued, past more store fronts, all with Erin running and screaming for anyone to stop these two men.

They ran into Starbucks, one came out and a security guard cuffed him thatâ€™s when they other made his move.

"I thought, I have not run all through this shopping center, looking not so lady like, so you can get away and he came past me and I tackled him," she said.

Police arrested the two men and the woman got her purse back. Erin says she never felt threatened until it was all over.

"I didn't think it would play out as extensively as it did,â€ she said. â€œIf they would've turned around, I would've said, oh, never mind, but they never did."

A few weeks after this, Erin found out she had breast cancer and has been fighting that with the same upbeat attitude.

You can vote for Erin to be the â€œReaders Digest Hero of the Year,â€ by going to their website, www.rd.com. Voting ends on January 31st.