5 good things

5 Good Things

~ Adam Baker ~ Leave a comment

Having a rough week? Feel like there is nothing but negative stories online, on TV and in the newspaper? Looking for a little pick me up?

Here are 5 good things going on in our world…and as you’ll notice, this month we have a theme: Sports. These days, between protests, violence and dumb decisions, sports get a bad rap. But there is actually a lot of good going on in the sports world. Let’s take a look at 5 examples…

  1. Eagles player Chris Long donating the rest of his season’s salary to charity – Long is putting his entire $1 million base salary behind his belief that education opens doors for all Americans. He is donating his final 10 game checks from this season to organizations supporting educational equity and opportunity in Philadelphia as well as Boston and St. Louis, where he previously played with the Patriots and Rams.
  2. Pro Hockey Player Purchases Suite So That Underprivileged Children Can Attend Games -The Montreal Canadiens announced on Wednesday that Jonathan Drouin has partnered with the Canadiens Children’s Foundation to host less fortunate children at a Bell Centre suite for Habs games.Drouin is making a personal annual contribution of $165,000 for the suite, which will bear the name “Jo et ses champions” (Jo and his champions).
  3. Oakland A’s answer young wildfire victim’s letter in person – Loren Smith, 9, of Santa Rosa lost his home and his cherished collection of baseball cards and memorabilia. Teams from around the country are coming together to help replace what he lost.
  4. Oklahoma football team lets opponent in wheelchair score touchdown – An Oklahoma high school football team rallied around a player on the opponent team, who was in a wheelchair, and let him score a touchdown.
  5. New York Islanders ‘recruit’ boy with cancer, making his ‘dream come true’ -A little boy from New York had his wish granted Tuesday after he got to spend the day practicing and hanging out with his favorite hockey team, the New York Islanders.Brandon Bloom, 8, of South Setauket, on Long Island, became an NHL athlete for a day.

5 Good Things

~ Adam Baker ~ Leave a comment

Having a rough week? Feel like there is nothing but negative stories online, on TV and in the newspaper? Looking for a little pick me up?

Here are 5 good things going on in our world…

  1. Southwest Airlines Flew A Cabin Full Of Animals Out Of Storm-Hit Houston– Dozens of cats and dogs were flown to San Diego for adoption, freeing up space in Texas shelters.
  2. Pitbull sends private plane to bring cancer patients from Puerto Rico to US for chemo – The music superstar is sending his private jet to the U.S. territory to help ferry cancer patients to the mainland for chemo treatments.
  3. Hero dog saves lives following earthquake in Mexico – Frida, the beloved Labrador rescue dog, has been dispatched to Mexico City to help search for survivors caught in the rubble.
  4. Texas Woman Uses Her Extreme Couponing Skills To Help Hurricane Victims – Kimberly Gager has helped dozens of families who have stopped by her home to pick up goods after hearing of her generosity by word of mouth or on Facebook.
  5. Hero Groom Saves Boy From Drowning During Wedding Photo Shoot – Newlyweds Clayton and Brittany Cook were posing for photos on a park bridge in in Kitchener, Ontario when Clayton noticed a little boy struggling to swim in the river. With no concern for his wedding attire, Clayton jumped into the water and pulled the boy out.

5 Good Things

~ Adam Baker ~ Leave a comment

Having a rough start to your week? Feel like there is nothing but negative stories online, on TV and in the newspaper? Looking for a little pick me up?

Here are 5 good things going on in our world…

  1. Umpire Stops Woman From Committing Suicide – 36-year-old John Tumpane has been been a baseball umpire for more than half of his life – but a recent game in particular was one that he would never forget.
  2. Driver Makes Every Kid on Her Route Feel Special, Hand-making Each a Toy – 43-year-old Trudy Serres is a bus driver for Summit Elementary School in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Her second job – which she does for free – is crocheting special toys for every single one of the children on her bus route.
  3. Strangers Buy Car For 20-Year-Old Man Who Walks 3 Miles Each Way To Work – Hard to believe, but it is true. A group of strangers pitched in to buy a car for a 20-year-old Texas man who walks three miles each way to his job at a fast food restaurant.
  4. Mickey and Minnie use sign language to make a little boy’s day – One little boy’s Disneyland dream came true when Pluto, Minnie and Mickey communicated with him through sign language — a moment that 3-year-old Phoenix Fox’s family won’t soon forget.
  5. Police officers mow lawn of disabled veteran – A pair of Texas police officers are being recognized for their good deed after a neighbor snapped a few photos of them mowing the lawn of a disabled veteran.

5 Good Things

~ Adam Baker ~ Leave a comment

Having a rough week? Feel like there is nothing but negative stories online, on TV and in the newspaper? Looking for a little pick me up?

Here are 5 good things going on in our world…

  1. 11-Year-Old Born Without Hands and Legs Throws First Pitch at Yankees Game -11-year-old Landis Sims, a die-hard New York Yankees fan, who was born without hands and legs, delivered a great pitch before Sunday’s game at Yankee Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles. According to his mom, this is just another example of his “Watch me. I can do this, and don’t tell me I can’t,” attitude.
  2. Little Ceasers Staff Saves Tips For Months To Send Nigerian Coworker Home To See Family -It’s been five years since 22-year-old Samuel Nzube, an Algoma University student in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, has been home to see his family in Nigeria.But that’s all about to change thanks to the kindness of his coworkers at Little Caesars.
  3. Girl, 12, uses ‘Hunger Games’ first aid to save friend – Just one more reason to read a book.
  4. Ohio teen rescues 4-year-old on first day as a lifeguard – Jack Viglianco says he was 20 minutes into his shift at a Lakewood swimming pool Thursday when he heard the boy calling for help. The 15-year-old jumped into the water and helped the child to safety.
  5. Doggy dropout gets regal new job – Gavel the puppy was facing a tough change when he flunked out of police dog academy for being too sociable. See what he did next.

5 Good Things

~ Adam Baker ~ Leave a comment

Having a rough week? Feel like there is nothing but negative stories online, on TV and in the newspaper? Looking for a little pick me up?

Here are 5 good things going on in our world…

  1. Woman Goes From Homelessness to Graduating Harvard – After losing her job several years ago, Norma became depressed and entered a downward spiral that left her homeless and drug addicted without any stability to finish school. But then everything changed thanks to Rosie’s Place – a women’s shelter in Boston, Massachusetts.
  2. Pittsburgh Woman Loses 40 Pounds To Donate Her Kidney To A Friend – Would you be willing to do this for a friend? I hope I would, but who knows.
  3. In First At-Bat Since Mom’s Death, College Player Hits Game-Winning Home Run – It had been eight days since his mother, Susan, 59, died from ovarian cancer. It had been 17 days since McCready, a backup outfielder, had even batted in a game. But what came next was magical.
  4. Good Samaritans Rescue Driver From River – The driver of a minivan that plunged off a bridge into the Indian River on Saturday was rescued with the help of some Good Samaritans who were nearby.
  5. Military Mom Surprises Son After He Throws Out 1st Pitch at Baseball Game – Watch this video and try not to get chills.

5 Good Things

~ Adam Baker ~ 1 Comment

Having a rough week? Feel like there is nothing but negative stories online, on TV and in the newspaper? Looking for a little pick me up?

Here are 5 good things going on in our world…

  1. McDonald’s Worker Jumps Out of Drive – A Miami-area McDonald’s drive-thru worker went above and beyond yesterday when he saw a police officer having a health emergency.
  2. Teenage Takes A Unique Approach To Get Smiles In An Unlikely Place – To make everyone’s day a little brighter, she papers high school bathroom with positive signs
  3. Stranger Helps Amputee Up The Stairs, Then Returns The Next Day And Builds Him A Ramp – This man takes the idea of random act of kindness to a whole new level.
  4. Stranger Pays for Firefighters’ Groceries – Northern Kentucky firefighters ditched their shopping cart for an emergency run, only to return to the grocery story to find their groceries paid for.
  5. Creative Young Girl With Alopecia Wins School’s Crazy Hair Day – Next time I am bummed about being bald, I am going to think of this girl.

5 Good Things

~ Adam Baker ~ Leave a comment

Having a rough week? Feel like there is nothing but negative stories online, on TV and in the newspaper? Looking for a little pick me up?

Here are 5 good things going on in our world…

  1. After Girl Scout Stand Is Robbed, Police Buy All Remaining Cookies And Donate Over $1,000 – A girl scout stand outside of a Union City, CA, supermarket was robbed by a gunman. Thankfully the girls were okay. To lift the girls’ spirits, the Union City Police Officers Association purchased all of the girl’s remaining boxes of cookies and gave them a very generous donation.
  2. Boy Battling Cancer to Receive 1,000 Valentine’s Day Cards – An Ohio community is coming together to send 1,000 Valentine’s Day cards for a 5-year-old boy battling cancer, all in the name of love.
  3. Dad Builds Ninja Warrior Training Course To Teach His Daughter Confidence – Gavin MacCall created a mini Ninja Warrior training course inside their home, using his sofa as a warped wall. And amazing thing happened when his daughter started using it.
  4. 2nd Grade Class Raises Money For Injured Dog – After reading “Sheepdog in the Snow,” a book about some kids who find a stranded sheepdog with a broken leg, one 2nd grade class decided to put the lesson they just learned into action.
  5. Flying Actually Got Better Last Year – For all you frequent fliers out there, I have good news…flying is getting better. Airlines are cancelling fewer flights and losing less bags.

5 Good Things

~ Adam Baker ~ Leave a comment

Having a rough start to the week? Feel like there is nothing but negative stories online, on TV and in the newspaper? Looking for a little pick me up?

Here are 5 good things going on in our world…

  1. Photographer Gives Kids in the Hospital A Magical Christmas Surprise – Australian photographer Karen Alsop took pictures of kids with Santa in front of a green screen at Monash Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. Click here to see what they look like with a little Christmas magic!
  2. Butler Men’s Basketball Turns Court Storming Into A Fundraiser – Fans rushed the court in celebration when Butler knocked off top ranked Villanova. Only problem is that a court storming is grounds for a $5,000 fine from the Big East Conference. In a great twist, the school will be donating that money to a charity, Be The Match.
  3. J.J. Watt Surprises Football Fan Who Lost Favorite Jersey After Car Accident – 8-year-old Noah Fulmer was in a scary car accident on New Year’s Eve and to make matters worse, the emergency response team ripped open his JJ Watt jersey to tend to Noah’s injuries. The Houston Texans star found out about this and stopped by the hospital to give Noah some brand new gear.
  4. Teen Carries Brother With Cerebral Palsy On Back For 111-Mile Walk – I love my brothers, but I don’t know if I could do what one teen did for his brother. See what he did.
  5. Dad’s Special Lunch Bag Drawings Help ‘Shy’ Son Come Out Of His Shell – Dominick Cabalo saw that his son Nicholas was shy and having a hard time making friends. He decided to use his art skills to turn Nicholas’ lunch bags into the talk of the school. Check out how cool these are…

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This Year In 5 Good Things

~ Adam Baker ~ 2 Comments

The year is nearly over and if you are like me, you have forgotten much of what has happened in the previous 300+ days. As a way to offer a quick reminder of what I’ve asked, learned and written about in 2016, I will spend this week recapping some of the top posts/segments this blog had to offer from the past year.

Let’s take a look at this year in 5 Good Things…

(from April)

  1. Good Samaritans do exist – A woman found a pediatric wheelchair in the middle of a Jersey City street Saturday night and is taking time to reunite it with its owner. The owner has yet to be found, but in our busy world, it is nice to know that there are still people out there who pause what they are doing to help someone they can’t even see.
  2. We don’t have to be a superhero to come to the rescue – An 11-year-old boy with autism, walked out of class on Friday and hopped a BART train to San Francisco. Thanks to one woman’s instincts, the boy was safely reunited with his family.
  3. We can watch videos and make a difference at the same time – My favorite politician, Kid President, is back on the campaign trail to help end child hunger with ConAgra. For every view or share of his new video, between April 14 through May 9, 2016, ConAgra will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to Feeding America®, up to 100,000 meals.
  4. Devils can act like angels – The Arizona State University football team took time out of their last spring practice to welcome a five-year-old who is battling stage three lymphoma. The boy was all smiles as he got to keep head coach Todd Graham’s whistle and got to try on ASU’s football helmet and gloves.
  5. Even champions are too big for their smallest fans – Villianova stars Daniel Ochefu and Ryan Arcidiacono have been busy doing the media rounds since being crowned NCAA men’s basketball champions. But they aren’t too busy to share some cake with a struggling young fan. The players surprised a 4-year-old who is fighting bone cancer, giving him a handful of gifts and a Wildcats-themed cake. Check out the video below.

(from June)

  1. Cristiano Ronaldo donates his €600,000 Champions League win bonus to charity – The soccer superstar is proving to be a champion off the field. The Portuguese forward was named the world’s most charitable sportsperson last year and it appears he is only upping his game in 2016.
  2. Boy Plays For Vet Who Showed Up To Canceled Memorial Day Parade – Rain cancelled a Memorial Day parade in North Bellmore, NY. But when 11-year-old Nicholas DeGregorio heard that an elderly veteran was on his way to the parade site, the 5th grader grabbed his trumpet and put on a show.
  3. Limbless man completes marathon in Canada – Chris Koch, a motivational speaker who was born without arms and legs successfully finished The Scotiabank Calgary Marathon by using a long board.
  4. Mother of 3 takes on friend’s 6 children after death – Before Stephanie Culley lost her friend Beth Laitkep to cancer, she made a promise to look after Beth’s six children. Stephanie made good on that promise and welcomed the children (ranging from age 15 to age 2) into her home.
  5. 9-Year-old Makes Beautiful Care Packages for Homeless Women – When Khloe Thompson asked her mom why people were homeless, the answer inspired her to start a charity. Khloe Kares, provides homeless women with beautiful shoulder bags that fills with necessities and sews with her great-grandmother. Check out the video below.

(from July)

  1. Elderly Stranger Pays For Man’s Groceries – A conversation about race relations in America led to one man paying for another man’s groceries. “[It was] just a random moment of solidarity and love that made my day,” said Sampson McCormick, the man whose groceries were paid for.
  2. Michigan Children’s Hospital Is Using Pokemon Go To Brighten Smiles – C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan has started using the new gaming sensation Pokemon Go in its hallways and around the campus to foster greater socialization within patients and brighten smiles all around.
  3. ‘Heroic’ Dog Saves Lost Boy’s Life In Mountain Ordeal – A Labrador named Max has been hailed as a hero after coming to the rescue of a teenage boy who got lost during an expedition in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range.
  4. Builder Makes A Real Life ‘Where’s Waldo?’ Game For Sick Kids To Spot From Their Hospital Window – Another example of how a fun game can lift the spirits of young hospital patients. This time the game is Where’s Waldo.
  5. Mom Made it her Mission to Go to Hospitals to Cook Healthy Food for Kids With Cancer – After her son was diagnosed with cancer, one woman created Happily Hungry, a program that consists of cooking and workshops for hospitalized kids and their families who are battling cancer and other illnesses. Learn more in the video below.

(from September)

  1. Teen Makes ‘Sit With Us’ App That Helps Students Find Lunch Buddies – A 16-year-old from Sherman Oaks, California created an app that helps students find a place to sit and make friends in the lunchroom.
  2. Airplane Passenger’s Kind Gesture Brings Mom to Tears – It is hard enough being pregnant on a flight. The space is cramped and no one wants to sit by you. Now imagine that, plus having to take care of a crying 1-year-old child. A mother traveling from Minneapolis to Atlanta was going through this struggle when a man seated nearby approached her and offered to help sooth the infant so she could get some rest.
  3. Buckeye Lightning Strike Victim Is Saved By Neighbor – Trust me, you will want to read this story. It is the perfect example of living out the message to love your neighbor.
  4. 12-Year-old Creates First App to Help Alzheimer’s Patients Keep Track of Things – Yep, another story about a young person creating an app to help others. It is amazing the good things that can come from technology.
  5. An 8-year-old Writes a Book and Donates Its Profits to Charity – 8-year-old author Emma Sumner was challenged by her dad to write a 150-word story over summer break. The challenge turned into a 10,000 word fairy tale and the best part is she is donating the money she earns from the first few months of sales to Autism Speaks.

(from October)

  1. 10-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Writes Book To Inspire Others – Luis Collazo, a 10-year-old North Texas boy, is using his cancer fight and bullying to inspire other children to celebrate their differences.
  2. Cop Gets On Level With Boy Having A Bad Day, Wipes His Tears – Precious Cornner-Jones, an officer with the Indiana State Police, was participating in a rally at a school on Sept. 26 when she saw a small boy get so upset he threw himself to the floor. Cornner-Jones, herself a mother of three, stretched out next to the boy and comforted him.
  3. Baseball Star Paul Goldschmidt Raises Money For Phoenix Children’s Hospital – The All-Star first baseman’s charity, Goldy’s Fund 4 Kids is having a bowling event where 100 percent of the proceeds will be going to PCH’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
  4. Pre-School Teacher Offers to Donate Kidney to Save Little Girl’s Life -4-year-old Lyla needed a new kidney. Turns out her preschool teacher, Beth Battista, was a perfect match, and has agreed to be the donor.
  5. Little Boy Gives Charlotte Police Officers ‘Free Hugs’ and Donuts – When a young boy heard about injured police officers while listening to the radio, he did something awesome…decided to bring the cops donuts and give them hugs.

 

5 Good Things

~ Adam Baker ~ Leave a comment

Having a rough start to the week? Feel like there is nothing but negative stories online, on TV and in the newspaper? Looking for a little pick me up?

Here are 5 good things going on in our world…

  1. 10-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Writes Book To Inspire Others – Luis Collazo, a 10-year-old North Texas boy, is using his cancer fight and bullying to inspire other children to celebrate their differences.
  2. Cop Gets On Level With Boy Having A Bad Day, Wipes His Tears – Precious Cornner-Jones, an officer with the Indiana State Police, was participating in a rally at a school on Sept. 26 when she saw a small boy get so upset he threw himself to the floor. Cornner-Jones, herself a mother of three, stretched out next to the boy and comforted him.
  3. Baseball Star Paul Goldschmidt Raises Money For Phoenix Children’s Hospital – The All-Star first baseman’s charity, Goldy’s Fund 4 Kids is having a bowling event where 100 percent of the proceeds will be going to PCH’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
  4. Pre-School Teacher Offers to Donate Kidney to Save Little Girl’s Life -4-year-old Lyla needed a new kidney. Turns out her preschool teacher, Beth Battista, was a perfect match, and has agreed to be the donor.
  5. Little Boy Gives Charlotte Police Officers ‘Free Hugs’ and Donuts – When a young boy heard about injured police officers while listening to the radio, he did something awesome…decided to bring the cops donuts and give them hugs.