The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

SCHOOLTEACHER GEOFF HALEY, 50
His dog trapped in a drain, a loyal owner digs him out

Their daily walks near home in Medomsley, England, were a relaxing ritual for schoolteacher Geoff Haley and his mixed-breed Lakeland-Border terriers Billy and Ben. But on the afternoon of May 3, Ben suddenly darted into the woods. "I thought he might be chasing a rabbit," says Haley. But when Ben didn't return after several hours, adds Haley, "I knew he had met with some kind of trouble."

Haley's best guess was that Ben had disappeared into a long-disused 18-in. drainpipe that had so fascinated the dog that Haley had blocked it repeatedly with .wire fencing. But sure enough, the fencing was gone. Investigating, Haley discovered the pipe had recently been connected to the drainage lines of a new subdivision. When he and a friend, John Bell, began lifting manhole covers from a newly built road directly over the pipe, their worst fears were confirmed. "I listened at the drain," recalls Bell, 61, "and I could hear Ben yapping."

Firemen tried to dislodge the dog with a high-powered stream of water, but that didn't work. Finally, Haley, along with wife Bobbie, 50, daughter Helen, 24, and a group of volunteers, took matters into their own hands. "I couldn't wait," says Haley. "I didn't know how much air Ben had, and any rain would have drowned him." Throughout the night they dug up more than a foot of tarmac and concrete, then broke through the pipe itself. Friends lowered Haley headfirst into the pipe but he still couldn't free the dog—and the hole was caving in. It wasn't until 8 a.m. when a construction crew arrived for work that the hole was widened and Ben was freed. "He was stuck in goo like the cork in a wine bottle," recalls Haley. "It took a massive heave to get him out."

With no more damage than a dirty coat, Ben, after a brief turn in the family shower, was soon wagging his tail but offering no word on what had prompted his excursion. "He's a bit of a daft dog," says Haley affectionately. "What possessed him that day is a mystery."

[kuhio98]

Reusable Water Bottle

This limited edition, BPA-free plastic water bottle is not only Earth-conscious, it also helps to end the clean-water crisis.

Ten dollars from every bottle purchased goes toward Water.org's efforts to supply clean water for people around the world.

Buy it now at water.org, $25

[kuhio98]

Pocket Change

Whenever I have loose change in my pocket and am riding the bus, I leave my loose change with the bus driver to give to anyone who might try to get on the bus later and is short on bus fare. Such an easy way to help!

[kuhio98]

From People Magazine Heroes Among Us:

CROSSING GUARD JILL COOK, 66
Taking a hit to save a child

As usual, Jill Cook's post at North Crystal Lake Drive and Lowry Avenue in Lakeland, Fla., was busy on the morning of Aug. 16. With Cook's guidance, 7-year-old Amber Stringer had just stepped onto the curb, with her big brother Tony, 10, lagging close behind. But before he could reach the safety of the sidewalk, a pickup truck, out of nowhere, came speeding toward him. Instinctively, Cook pushed Tony out of the way. But she had no time to save herself, and the truck struck her with terrible force. "She flew up, landed on the hood, hit the windshield, and when the truck stopped it threw her off," says Christine Stringer, Amber and Tony's mother, who saw what happened from her nearby backyard and rushed to Cook's side. "I thought she was dead." Cook remained conscious but recalls little of the impact. "The only thought I had was, 'Are the kids okay?' " she says. The pain was excruciating, and small wonder. She'd broken her pelvis, right knee, hip, tibia and fibula and five ribs. (Police say driver Chester Lepriol, 28, was doing about 46 mph in a 15-mph zone; charged with criminal reckless driving, he pleaded not guilty.) A retired nurse and widowed mother of six, Cook is staying with her daughter Jennifer, also a nurse, and faces months of rehab. "She may have a limp, but all her fractures should heal," says her surgeon Dr. George Letson.

The grateful Stringers visit Cook often. "There's a special bond," says Christine, 34. Adds Amber: "I love her very much." Cook downplays her heroism and hopes her story serves as a lesson. "That's my whole goal—for people to be more cautious," she says. "Obey those flashing lights. Don't put on makeup while driving. Don't read the newspaper. Please be careful."

[kuhio98]

Because Giving Back Is Good Luck

When Cynthia Stafford won $112 million in the California lottery, she couldn't wait to start paying it forward. Her involvement in the children's outreach programs at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles has helped bring the joys of theater to thousands of underprivileged kids.

[kuhio98]

From CNN


DEAL ISLAND, Md. (WMAR) -- A 46-year-old man swam for more than 5 hours in order to get help for his family that had been ejected from their boat near Deal Island.

At about 7:00 p.m., the boat that John Riggs, 70, was driving with 4 others onboard was swamped by waves during a storm about 3 miles off shore. The 16 foot Carolina Skiff was swamped by waves inside the vessel and over the stern.

When the boat took on water all occupants put on their life jackets. The water in the boat caused it to partially sink and roll over, sending everyone into the water. All five held onto the boat.

At about 7:30 p.m., John Franklin Riggs, 46, decided to swim for help and finally reached the shore at about 1:00 a.m., and knocked on the door of the closest home for help.

Emergency personnel were able to locate the vessel at about 3:00 a.m. All subjects were treated at the scene.

The occupants of the boat are family members and range in age from 70 to 3-years-old. Life jackets and a quick response by multiple jurisdictions are being credited for the safe rescue of all involved.

[cassiesmom]

I love stories like this ...

'Are you kidding?' Last request leads to $500 tip for waitress
By Michelle Manchir

Tribune reporter

8:08 AM CDT, July 12, 2013

Vanessa Goldschmidt said it had been a slow night at the pod of tables she was in charge of serving at Pequod's Pizza in Lincoln Park on Thursday.

The night quickly became a memorable one when, after cashing out one $45 tab, she was handed a $500 tip.

She was the latest unsuspecting restaurant server to experience Aaron Collins' last wish.

The Collins family began distributing $500 tips last year after the 30-year-old committed suicide in his hometown of Lexington, Ky.

The last line of the will that his brother Seth Collins, 33, found on Aaron's desktop computer made clear what he wanted: "Leave an awesome tip (and I don't mean 25 percent. I mean $500 on a (expletive) pizza) for a waiter or waitress."

In Chicago, the gesture unfolded at the pizzeria after Seth Collins had taken the last bite of his tomato and basil deep dish, and Goldschmidt, 34, was ready to cash him out.

"Actually hang on just a second," Collins said, launching into a story about his brother's untimely death and last request.

He handed her a stack of $20 bills along with a printed postcard he made featuring Aaron's name and photo.

"I'm like shaking right now. Are you kidding?" Goldschmidt said, lunging toward Collins for a hug. "Oh, my gosh. I'm shaking right now. That's amazing."

It was the 56th time since Aaron Collins' July 7, 2012, death that Seth Collins fulfilled the request from his brother's will.

Seth Collins had posted a video online of what happened when they made the first surprise tip in Kentucky last year. It inspired a wave of donations, and Collins made it his goal to take the experience out of Kentucky and give extravagant tips in all 50 states before Christmas, thus bringing him to Illinois this week.

He set up a nonprofit in Kentucky that he said holds about $60,000 from donors all over the world. To memorialize his brother, Collins said, he wants all the money to go toward gratuities for waiters and waitresses at local restaurants, many of whom are recommended by Facebook users who are following Collins' journey.

Sometimes Collins' parents and sisters attend the big-tip dinners with him, but he's going alone on this road trip, hoping his '99 Altima will keep up with him for 17,000 miles, he said. He has raised $5,600 so far to fund the trip through an Indiegogo campaign online.

Aaron Collins, who constructed homes in Kentucky and fixed computers, was a man who struggled in his life, said his mother, Tina Rae Collins. She wasn't in Chicago this week but said she has attended the tippings 15 to 20 times.

After his death, the family reacted to all the requests they found in his will. One example: They gave the $70 Aaron left behind to homeless people.

The $500 tip request made sense to the family. Taking friends out to dinner and leaving big tips behind was something Aaron Collins did often, his brother said. He got a kick from picking up a big tab at meals, and other random acts of kindness, Seth Collins said.

At family celebrations out, "he would reach down in his own pocket if he didn't think we had left enough," said Tina Rae Collins.

For her, distributing the tips is a way to find comfort in her loss.

"As sad as I am, I can't help but be happy and excited when I see what that little seed that Aaron planted has produced," she said in a phone interview.

"I read a lot of things about grief, about the loss of a child. Pretty much everybody says the only thing that they want is to hear their child's name spoken. They want to know their child meant something. … I don't have to worry about that."

On Thursday night, Goldschmidt, of Chicago, said the money would probably be used for her rent and other bills. She works full time at the pizzeria, relying heavily on tips, she said.

"It was just like another Thursday night, coming into work, hoping for the best. It's a slow night," Goldschmidt said after receiving the cash. "I'm just taken aback. It's such an amazing gesture."

Milwaukee, St. Paul and Des Moines are the next cities on Collins' list to visit.

"It'll never get old," Seth Collins said.