The good guys thread

[kuhio98]

I wish they would have shown the sweaters on real penguins and not stuffed animals...

That would be cute but I guess I'm glad they didn't have any penguins covered in oil for the photo op.

[mon]

I can't believe he knitted those sweaters in the picture. They are remarkable sweaters! I'm in awe. If I wasn't married...

[Taz_Zoee]

That would be cute but I guess I'm glad they didn't have any penguins covered in oil for the photo op.

Ahh, good point! They could have put them on clean birds just for modeling purposes. But yes, you are right. I wouldn't want to see oil soaked penguins either.

[kuhio98]

DEAR ABBY: Once again I have found that one random act of kindness begets another.

Today, I had a hankering for one of those great salads from my favorite fast food chain. It was noon, and the line from the main highway to get into the driveway was long.

When I finally was able to turn in to the ordering section, I noticed a man in his work truck trying to get into the line. We were face-to-face. I looked back, saw all the cars behind me and knew none of them were going to let him in, so I motioned for him to go ahead of me.

When I reached the window and started to pay for my order, the cashier said, "You are already paid for." I said, "What?" The man in front of me had paid for my order.

The message? Be kind -- it's good karma. -- LINDA IN ORANGE, CALIF.

DEAR LINDA: I agree. Like a stone thrown into a pond, a good deed can create ripples that extend far beyond the initial splash.

[kuhio98]

Donkey basketball raises money for Albany teacher battling cancer

http://www.kptv.com/clip/10011244/do...attling-cancer


ALBANY, OR (KPTV) - Students, staff and even a rival school rallied to support a South Albany High School teacher who is battling cancer.

A donkey basketball game was held Tuesday night for Jason Henkel, who was recently diagnosed with stomach cancer.

"When we found out he was going to be going through this, I think everyone wanted to back him up and help as much as we could," said student organizer Amanda Kelley.


Organizers hope the event, which was held at the Linn County Fairgrounds, will contribute to Henkel's future medical bills.

Kelley said donkey basketball is an old tradition at her high school, so when an opportunity emerged to bring it back for a good cause, students jumped at the chance to participate.

There were eight teams from Albany-area schools and organizations, and even a team of Henkel's doctors.

Henkel wasn't able to attend because he just underwent chemotherapy treatment.

[kuhio98]

Naugatuck student creates backpack meant for children battling cancer

A Naugatuck Elementary School student is trying to help others who are battling cancer.

The now 11-year-old student had fought the disease herself, at just 3 years old, and now she has invented a new device that is aimed at making a child's fight a little easier.

Kylie Simonds has created a backpack that is themed with Hello Kitty, lights up, but it is really a pediatric IV backpack that can easily be carried around.

“My inspiration is for all my friends that had cancer and have cancer they all inspired me to make this,” Simonds said.

The backpack would be used for children who are going through chemotherapy treatments.

Simonds thought of the idea that she thought of after being assigned to a school project.

“I had to think of an everyday problem so I thought of the everyday problem I used to have which was going to treatment and using the IV poles,” Simonds said.

She is now a sixth-grade student who fought her own battle for a full year after being diagnosed with a type of soft-tissue cancer.

She went through one month of radiation and 46 weeks of chemotherapy and said the worst part about it was wheeling around a large metal pole with an IV and all of its tubes attached to it.

“Even when I was in treatment, I thought this could be so much easier if I could think of something and I have backpacks for school and how light they are,” Simonds said. “Treatments would be so much easier for them and not as scary for them because just seeing the IV poles is scary.”

Eventually, Simonds said she wants the backpacks to be personalized for boys and girls, including different colors and themes.

She has raised $52,000 through a GoFundMe page.

“I'm hoping all the hospitals all over the country can have them and I want all the kids to be happy again,” she said.

The family's next step is making a working backpack to test out and they hope to do that in the next year.

[kuhio98]

Couple cancels traditional wedding to give back to others

"Shocked and frozen." Those are two words that Mark and Ismini Svensson say perfectly describe their families' reaction to their unique wedding plans.

Instead of having a typical ceremony, complete with cake and family photos, the couple chose a different path: To celebrate their love by sharing good deeds across the country with people they'd never met.

For past two years, the newlyweds have been spending their wedding budget to perform one act of kindness in each of the 50 states. The Svenssons plan to complete their mission this spring.

The New York-based couple met as students, while attending Georgetown University. They say it was their mutual love of volunteerism and community activism that drew them together.

"It just clicked," says Mark Svensson. "We both had this passion within us."

While in the midst of selecting a venue for a more traditional wedding ceremony, they had a change of heart.

"We were actually planning a big wedding reception and honeymoon," Ismini says. "We realized that our way of celebrating our love would be different, and we came up with 50 Acts of Giving Back."

For Ismini, the idea of sharing goodwill in place of a wedding also became a special way to honor the legacy of her father, a civil engineer and philanthropist who taught her the importance of making a difference.

"The father of the bride plays important role on the wedding day, and I realized my father wouldn't be there."

Ismini says her father suddenly passed away from heart attack while hosting a charity event that gave college scholarships to underserved youth. At that event, Ismini's father delivered his last speech -- focusing on the importance of love and the importance of giving back.

So, Mark and Ismini ditched the idea of a formal wedding. No flower bouquet was tossed. No speeches were made, and no family pictures taken. The New York couple quietly exchanged vows at a courthouse.

They named their mission, "50 Acts of Giving Back" and took to Facebook and Twitter for suggestions of where to go. Soon the couple was overwhelmed with responses. They say each stated visited was the result of an online discussion.

After sharing their idea on social media, their friends and followers echoed the message through Facebook shares and retweets. Using the hashtag #50Acts, the Svenssons say they were contacted by people across the country in need of their support. What started as a way to honor the legacy of Ismini's father became an online campaign to promote the couple's first love: volunteerism.

"Social media, whether it's a post or a tweet, can impact your world," Mark says. "It may seem small, but it can go a long way."

After hearing of their initiative, Mark and Ismini say others were so inspired by their story, people began to donate to their cause. The couple continued to self-fund "50 Acts of Giving Back" but used the monetary donations to start a nonprofit, StayUNITED. This way they would be able to continue their charitable work once their 50 state journey was completed.

After selecting a location with the help of their online friends, the Svenssons rented a car and drove to each state. Although challenging, it became the Svenssons best way to travel as they soon learned they were expecting their first child! After their daughter Rafealla was born, the couple hit the road again with her in the backseat.

"She became a part of this journey. She was always with us," Ismini says. "Everybody loved her. The baby became like the little mascot."

In Asheville, North Carolina, they brought flowers and presents to patients suffering from cancer. In Aramillo, Texas they assisted elderly men and women with grocery shopping. In Connecticut, the couple participated in an adaptive sports camp for children with disabilities. At the conclusion of the camp, the couple says they presented gifts to the children.

"Because of all the support received from all over the U.S., we realized this journey is much bigger than a wedding," Ismini says.

Although rewarding, the couple admits there were challenges. In addition to handling the daily tasks of having a newborn, Mark and Ismini balanced worked schedules as well. Working in a family business allowed them the flexibility to travel, but they say coordination was key.

"Some states you literally have to drive seven hours just to get to the next area," Mark commented. "It's definitely something you have to be mentally prepared for."

The couple's next move? The Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Hawaii and Alaska. They hope to wrap up their journey by spring of 2015.

"We believe in a chain reaction of kindness," Ismini says. "It's all about realizing us doing our part in something much bigger than ourselves and giving back."

Photos of some of their adventures are here: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/02/wo...ess/index.html

[kuhio98]

Anonymous Stranger Buys Wedding Dress for Cash-Strapped Bride-to-Be

When Elizabeth Jensen realized she couldn't afford her dream wedding dress, she probably didn't expect to have a fairy tale ending.

While the 21-year-old was admiring the dress at the pop-up shop Elizabeth Cooper Designs in Provo, Utah, last Friday, a fellow shopper and bride-to-be, who remains anonymous, offered to purchase the dress for Jensen.

"I said, 'Are you sure?' Because it's just not the norm," Carrie Ling, the bridal store owner, told the Deseret News. "I'm still flabbergasted. I don't know why she did it."

"It's unusual for a customer to walk out empty-handed, so I was shocked when I tried to help the anonymous lady pick out a dress and she instead told me that she wanted to help one of the five women in the store at the time," Ling told PEOPLE.

She pointed to Jensen and said that she wanted to help her because she was shopping alone, while the others had one or two people with them.

Jensen had her eye on the frock, but couldn't afford the dress's $480 price tag. She is currently a full-time student at Brigham Young University. Her father is also currently unemployed, making money tight for the family.

When Ling approached Jensen with the news, she immediately started crying.

"She told us her story and how grateful she was and really blessed that it happened to her," Ling said.

The store caters to brides on a budget, but none of the employees have ever seen such a sweet gesture happen out of the blue like this.

"The fact there was somebody in the store watching me and seeing how much I loved the dress and taking the time," Jensen, who is one of eight children, said. "She didn't even know me."

Jensen's fiancé, Jimmy Gillespie, proposed to her last month and they are set to wed on May 1. She wants the stranger to know that she has an open invitation to the wedding.

"We want to have our marriage built upon that principle of giving to other people," Jensen told ABC News.