Black Students Stand Arm in Arm with White Cops to ‘End the Pain’ (WATCH)

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May 29, 2015

Students and police officers hope to “end the pain” by literally standing together for a campaign to show “good cops and good kids.”

After a student and the school’s officer came up with the idea, a line of mostly African American high school students and mostly white cops assembled to stand arm in arm across a Brunswick, Ohio football field– a visual statement meant to improve race and community relations across the country.

They’re posting the picture to social media using the hashtag – #endthepain.

(WATCH the WEWS-TV video above) Photos from WEWS video

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Anheuser-Busch Cuts Beer Production to Provide Water for Storm Victims

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Good News Network

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May 29, 2015

America’s biggest beer maker switched to something lighter this week — producing more than 50,000 cans of emergency drinking water for flood victims in Oklahoma and Texas.

Anheuser-Busch, maker of Budweiser, Bud Light and Busch beers, idled the production line at its Cartersville, Georgia brewery to produce the canned water and deliver it to the American Red Cross.

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“Our local distributors help identify those communities most in need,” Peter Kraemer, the company’s Vice President of Supply, said in a statement.

The Georgia brewery’s manager, Rob Haas, says his plant is “uniquely positioned” to produce the emergency drinking water and does it several times every year.

Since 1988, Anheuser-Busch has donated more than 73 million cans of emergency drinking water to help victims of disasters.

(READ more at NBC News) – Photo from Anheuser-Busch

Rideshare Driver Offers Passengers A Different Kind of “Lyft”

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Terry Turner

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May 29, 2015

Passengers get a whole lot more than just a ride when Zia Ahmed, a rideshare driver, picks them up.

Ahmed, who drives for Lyft, asks each of his passengers to leave a brief, handwritten note for the next person that hops into the backseat.

Born from a desire to help passengers connect with one another, Ahmed later began posting the notes on social media to uplift everyone else, and called the effort, “Lyft Me Up San Francisco.”

The notes may burst the bubble you’re living in…

…or bring out the playful child in you.

Some notes encourage riders to find a new best friend…

If you're looking for a #pet...considering adopting! #adoptapet #cats #dogs pic.twitter.com/vi0EgTt9F0
— Lyftmeup (@LyftMeUpSF) May 22, 2015

…and others advise us never to judge.

"Maybe @taylorswift13 is actually a really cool person. What do I know?" Maybe...#swiftees #taylorswift pic.twitter.com/OsZW8EEVrc
— Lyftmeup (@LyftMeUpSF) May 17, 2015

Ahmed’s collected more than 2,000 handwritten notes since he started “Lyft Me Up San Francisco” last year.

They are simple messages shared among strangers — later shared with the world through Facebook and Twitter — that offer an inspiring reprieve from the mundane chore of getting from Point A to Point B.

(READ more at GMA)

Photos from Lyft Me Up San Francisco Facebook page

10 Awesome Teen Entrepreneurs

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Good News Network

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May 29, 2015

These high schoolers have had amazing entrepreneurial success.

Andrew Rosenstein and Sophia Gross were diagnosed with dyslexia at a large public school. After switching to AIM Academy, which specializes in kids with learning disabilities, they excelled in their studies.

The two wanted to help other students with learning disabilities, so the teen entrepreneurs founded Opportunity Rise. Their business raises awareness for students with learning disabilities and provides scholarships, so more students can benefit from specialized learning.

Andrew and Sophia started by selling clothing at their school. When that succeeded they branched out to other schools. The students at other schools started Opportunity Rise chapters and also sold the clothing. The money raised funds the business and provides scholarships. For the future they have planned an online network for kids with learning disabilities.

(READ about the other nine teen entrepreneurs at Brad Aronson’s blog)

Why One CEO is Paying for College for His Workers’ Kids

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Good News Network

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May 29, 2015

(CBS News) For Boxed chief executive Chieh Huang, a nearly empty parking lot at his company’s Atlanta warehouse prompted some soul-searching.

“I noticed there weren’t a lot of cars in the warehouse parking lot,” Huang told CBS MoneyWatch. “I thought they were on lunch break, but I realized (they) just couldn’t afford cars.”

That prompted Huang, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, to think about how his e-commerce startup could help his employees’ families climb the socio-economic ladder, while also inspiring loyalty and commitment among workers.

(READ the full story from CBS News) Photo via Chieh Huang, LinkedIn

Mega-Stars Joke Around And Raise $21 Million For Charity in a Few Days

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Good News Network

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May 29, 2015

The specter of some of the biggest stars in Hollywood on screen together for a night of comedy raised more than $21 million in the first American “Red Nose Day” telethon for children living in poverty.

Building upon the UK’s wildly successful charity effort, a collection of comedy-musical skits created to go viral on social media and mobile phones (like this Game of Thrones musical number) culminated in a three hour NBC variety show on May 21 that drew 3.2 million viewers.

Red-Nose-Day-photoby-Just me-CC — Photo by Just me…. (CC)

Across the Atlantic, the Red Nose Day campaign has been putting the “fun” in fundraising for 27 years and through its celebrity-fueled Comic Relief efforts more than $1.5 billion has been collected to help 50 million children in the UK and around the world.

Because the charity brand is new to the states, the producers made sure not to squander the opportunity to have loads of fun during its American introduction.

In the video above, for example, a “phone tree” between an ever-increasing cast of celebrities–like Chris Pratt, Emily Blunt and Reese Witherspoon– begins with talk of Red Nose Day and is somehow turned into a charity about red roses and garden hoses.

The telethon wasn’t all giggles, however. In a particularly poignant pre-taped segment, see it on YouTube, Jack Black spent the day with a homeless orphan named Felix in Uganda. The 12-year-old was typical of the millions of children living on the streets for which schools have been opened to offer a better future thanks to charities supported by Red Nose Day donations.

U.S. corporate partner Walgreens sold wearable red noses and helped to raise $8 million, while bringing brand awareness across the country. Read more about how organizers pulled off another British Invasion in “Why Red Nose Day Paid Off,” from The Guardian.

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Harnessing a Virus Like Herpes Has ‘Cured’ Skin Cancer

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Terry Turner

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May 28, 2015

DNA-photoby-Caroline Davis2010-CC — Image by Caroline Davis, CC license

As scientists on both sides of the Atlantic look for ways to replace chemotherapy, one strategy is becoming paramount: using the body’s own immune system–and other viruses–to fight cancer and other diseases.

Researchers at the UK’s Institute of Cancer Research created a genetically-altered herpes cold sore virus that can first infect and kill cancer cells, then release a molecule that boosts the body’s own immune system to continue fighting tumors.

Scientists in the study report the treatment has actually cured skin cancer in some of the patients in their trials.

The UK approach is similar to the type of immunotherapy reported last month, in which doctors completely dissolved a cancer tumor in just three weeks.

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“Because viral treatment can target cancer cells specifically, it tends to have fewer side-effects than traditional chemotherapy or some of the other new immunotherapies,” said Prof Kevin Harrington, Professor of Biological Cancer Therapies at the Institute.

At the University of Virginia, while researchers studied the secrets of a bizarre, indestructible virus that can survive in nearly boiling acid, they unlocked a blueprint for using gene therapy to fight a host of diseases.

The scientists believe that understanding the virus’ armor will let them create therapies that tear down an invading disease’s defenses — making it easy prey for the immune system.

The Virginia researchers published their findings in the journal Science and the UK results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

(READ more at Infection Control Today and at The Telegraph) – Photo by Caroline Davis2010, CC license

New Dating Site Hooks Up Volunteers Who Are Looking for Love

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Good News Network

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May 28, 2015

Alexandria Price, a 32-year-old international development professional, had enlisted the help of a dating coach to increase her chances of finding a soulmate. Even with a sleek headshot and a robust profile, she didn’t have much luck within the bounds of her town of Norwalk, Connecticut.

She found Match.com too overwhelming, the sexual expectations of Tinder too off-putting, and Christian Mingle too…well, you get the point.

Niche dating sites are on the rise more than ever, catering to farmers, vegans, and the mentally ill, to name a few. But a new dating site, iHeartVolunteers, is hoping to bring something new to the mix of photos, profiles, and awkward silences.

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Created by Chris and Shelly Zenner, iHeartVolunteers has all the frills of other dating sites with an additional feature that can position volunteer opportunities as dates – a great way to skip the awkwardness of who pays for what.

Besides, seeing your date in action just might be the thing you need to give it a go.

(Originally published in Affect Magazine)

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Students Give $8000 Raised for Class Trip to Principal’s Cancer Treatment

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May 28, 2015

A high school class brought their principal to tears when they canceled their senior trip to help pay for her cancer treatment.

The seniors at Profile School in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, voted unanimously to use the $8,000 they’d raised to help pay Principal Courtney Vashaw’s medical bills.

They were just about to leave for a four day trip to a ranch in New York’s Adirondack Mountains when they decided they would rather do a good deed instead.

Students said they wanted to be as “caring and selfless” as Vashaw has been to them.

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The class surprised their principal by telling her they needed to see her after a class meeting. She had no idea what was coming, and after the class announced their decision, had no idea what to say, as she broke into tears.

“It is very hard for me to accept help,” Vashaw told the students. But she needs to get used to it — the high school seniors are already planning more fundraisers for their administrator.

(WATCH more in the video above) Story tip from Jeannine Madden & Jim Kelly

Photo from WMUR video

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The Feminine Reason for African Girls Dropping Out, and An Engineer’s Simple Solution

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May 28, 2015

Many girls in the Western world use their period as an excuse to sit out of gym class–but in some African countries a girl’s monthly cycle forces her out of school altogether.

Diana Sierra was already empowering women in Africa and South America, working as an industrial engineer on innovative cookstoves and food processors that would make their lives better. But when she visited Uganda and found girls there dropping out of school, she trained her problem-solving prowess on the lack of feminine pads.

“Seeing girls lack the most basic supplies to manage their menstruation with dignity truly broke my heart,” said Sierra, now based in Washington, D.C. “As a woman and as a designer, I felt that I had to use my skills do something to help.”

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She knew that users of the ideal product would have to contend with scarce resources, so her first prototype, a waterproof pad holder with a mesh lining made of mosquito netting and umbrella fabric, could be stuffed with any available absorbent material.

But that design only solved one of the problems. Girls often don’t even own underwear – a necessary component for pads to work. So she migrated her pocket pad design into a high performance panty that combines comfort, fast indoor drying time and 100% leak protection.

The result is called the Be Girl PantyPad, which is hitting the commercial market in Kenya through local female distribution networks in honor of global Menstrual Hygiene Day— and at an accessibly low cost.

“It’s a crazy passion for me,” the Be Girl co-founder told the Good News Network at a breakfast meeting in DC last month.

“The fact that a blood stain is standing between millions of girls and their chance to obtain an education is absurd. ” Sierra said. “Every girl deserves the chance to fulfill her greatest potential.”

While designing the product she worked closely with African girls who told her they wanted something colorful, girly and beautiful. It was a poignant reminder that no matter someone’s income level, people want beautiful things.

“It is our job as designers to serve this population with the same attention to aesthetics as we do with any other user segment.”

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Woman With Cerebral Palsy Braves Controversial Surgery So She Can Ride a Bike – Now You Can’t Stop Her

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May 28, 2015

Nicole Luongo’s lifelong dream was simple: learn to ride a bike.

Because she was born with cerebral palsy, that dream remained out of reach for decades.

That is, until she turned 39, and learned about a controversial, and often scrutinized, form of life-changing surgery for cerebral palsy. The procedure involves cutting the sensory nerve fibers that enter the spinal cord.

Nicole had spent decades struggling simply to climb stairs, step up onto curbs, and just plain walk, so the potential risks of selective dorsal rhizotomy —which includes spinal fluid leakage, paralysis of the legs and bladder, impotence, and sensory loss — seemed worth the gamble.

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During a meeting with Dr. T.S. Park, a neurosurgeon at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Nicole learned that if she had the surgery she would indeed be able to check off the number one goal on her bucket list: ride a two-wheel bike.

Since SDR is considered elective, she didn’t know if Medicare would cover any of the estimated $50,000 for the surgery and physical therapy. Friends, family, and a bunch of strangers on the Internet donated $4,500 to her Facebook campaign. The surgery was a success.

Now an advocate, Nicole often speaks to others with cerebral palsy about the benefits of SDR, and hopes to spread greater awareness of the procedure—and eliminate some of the stigma.

“For parents of a child who is unable to walk before SDR, and can after SDR, that completely changes their lives. For others, SDR helps eliminate pain. That also changes lives,” she said. “My life would have been very different had my parents known about SDR when I was a child. I share my story so more kids can get new legs and have experiences that may have not been possible for them without SDR.”

Of the 3,000 procedures performed by St. Louis Children’s Hospital, only four had spinal fluid leakage.

Now, Nicole is rock climbing, jogging, ballroom dancing, and, yes, riding a two-wheeler.

“I would have never found out about SDR if I hadn’t literally stumbled on the information,” she said. “I don’t want that to happen to anyone else.”

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Teenage Entrepreneurs Develop Life-enhancing Device for Wheelchairs

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May 28, 2015

Stephen Campbell’s grandmother was a wheelchair user. Over time, he noticed that she and other people in wheelchairs often back into things, causing both embarrassment and physical damage. Plus, if that person has a back injury, backing into something can be very painful.

Stephen asked, “If cars can have backup notification systems, why can’t wheelchairs?”

And the Virginia student and his teenage friends didn’t just ask the question. They went on to develop a device to help.

The high school entrepreneurs, who have started a company, are also planning to get these devices to people who can’t afford them.

(READ more at BradAronson.com)

NY Cop Tickets Turnstile Jumper, Then Finds the Unemployed Man a Job

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Terry Turner

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May 28, 2015

When a transit cop saw a man jump a turnstile without paying a fare, he did what a cop has to do. After writing the man a ticket and hearing his story, however, the officer provided the one thing that would stem his need for law breaking: a job.

Officer Christopher D’Onofrio and his partner watched a young couple approach a train station on Staten Island in New York City. Even though his wife paid her fare, Sangeeth Wijesinghe jumped the turnstile.

D’Onofrio said the man kept apologizing, telling the officer he and his wife were unemployed and only had enough money for one fare.

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“I had a soft spot for his story,” D’Onofrio told Staten Island Advance. “He sounded like a stand-up gentleman.”

D’Onofrio wanted to help, so he called a friend who manages a market near the train station. The officer talked his friend into hiring the young man, and after a few weeks of training, Wijesinghe is working 40 hours a week as a cashier — and often another 20 hours of overtime.

D’Onofrio says getting to know people in the neighborhood is what community policing is all about. And while Wijesinghe has a new job, D’Onofrio says he has a new friend.

(WATCH the video below or READ the story at Staten Island Advance)

Photo from SILive.com video

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Taco Bell and Pizza Hut Drop Artificial Ingredients

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Terry Turner

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May 27, 2015

Fast food restaurants are racing to embrace more natural ingredients on their menus.

Taco Bell and Pizza Hut are the latest chains to announce they’ll be eliminating artificial ingredients as early as July in an attempt to appeal to customers’ changing tastes for more natural products.

The decision follows similar announcements by McDonald’s, Subway and Panera to get rid of artificial ingredients and Chipotle’s announcement last month that it would stop using genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Within the next two months, Taco Bell will start using real black pepper instead of what it calls “black pepper flavor” and get rid of the artificial dyes used in many of its dips, chips and cheeses. Pizza Hut will quit using artificial colors and flavors by the end of this year and plans to phase out some of its artificial preservatives by 2017.

(READ more from the Associated Press)

Photo by JeepersMedia, CC

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Small Town Bar Leaves $200,000 to University Full of its Best Customers

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McKinley Corbley

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May 27, 2015

Cabbie’s, a small town bar in Wisconsin, was just another one of your run-of-the-mill hotbeds for teenage shenanigans, tom foolery and good times.

This was, in large part, thanks to a loyal young customer base comprised of students from the nearby Northland College.

Cabbie’s owners, Ida and “Cabbie” Meyer, maintained a close relationship with these young regulars, ever since the bar first opened in 1953 and became a stomping ground for kids who loved ten cent beer and midnight fights.

The Meyers were well-known for being easygoing in the face of mischief and loved the kids for bringing life into their establishment. The kids loved them back, even after the bar burnt down in ’63.

After Ida’s death earlier this Spring, $200,000 was gifted to the college in her will. The couple never had any children of their own.

Though Cabbie’s is now the Stagecoach Inn, it will always be remembered as the watering hole that brought a young community together every cold Wisconsin night for beer, bread, and a friendly brawl.

(READ more at Philanthropy) –Story Tip from Ginnie Titterton

Photo Credit to Ken Plants via Northland College

Drones Drop Beneficial Bugs on Crops as a Natural Pest Control

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Terry Turner

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May 27, 2015

An Australian “bug drone” utilizes remote control technology as it buzzes over pest-infested crops, dropping insects like little paratroopers.

Michael Godfrey came up with the idea while looking for a better way to spread Californicus mites — which would eat harmful bugs — on cornfields as part of a summer scholarship project at the University of Queensland.

Dropping the mites from a drone turned out to be faster and cheaper than walking through corn rows and spreading them by hand, which is the traditional method.

The five-and-a-half pound, six-rotor drone with a converted seed spreader on the bottom to hold the mites can cover 12 acres in just 15 minutes. A small motor turns a wheel that releases the bugs while the drone soars over the cornstalks.

CHECK Out: More Stories on How Drones are Being Used for Good

An infrared camera has been mounted on the drone so Godfrey, an agricultural science student, can compare fields he’s treated with those he hasn’t in order to measure just how well his “bug drone” is working.

“Remote sensing with precision agriculture is an interesting field, and it has opened my eyes to the career opportunities,” he said.

Students can study precision agriculture at The University of Queensland Gatton in a course run by Associate Professor Kim Bryceson who also manages the Agriculture and Remote Sensing Laboratory.

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One Surprise After Another for Cute Kid Overcoming Illness in Indianapolis

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May 27, 2015

Over the weekend, a little boy from Indianapolis got the surprise of a lifetime when he was secretly whisked away to meet and ride in the Indianapolis 500 parade with IndyCar Series driver Josef Newgarden.

Better still, when he returned home, he found that his bedroom has received a race car-themed makeover.

Five-year-old Josiah Ives was awestruck: his room had been outfitted with a race car bunk bed, bedding, rug, lamp and nightstand, autographed Josef Newgarden and IndyCar memorabilia, and freshly painted walls, all courtesy of Century 21 and organized by Easter Seals Crossroads in Indianapolis.

Josiah was diagnosed with Noonan syndrome, a genetic disorder that makes him small for his age and hampers speech. At 8 months-old he started critical early intervention services. After occupational and speech therapy from Crossroads his mother says he is now “thriving”.

Photos courtesy of Vscreen

Restaurant Regular Leaves $2000 Tip After Being Given Free Gumbo

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Terry Turner

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May 27, 2015

Good customer service can lead to great tips — but this gratuity left restaurant staff stunned and speechless.

A regular customer at Blue 44 in Chevy Chase, Maryland finished eating dinner with a friend and asked for some gumbo to take with them. Head chef James Turner fixed them up with two quarts — and said there’d be no charge.

That’s when the diner left a $2,000 tip on his $93 bill, and specified the condition that it be split three ways: $1,000 to Turner and $500 each to bartender Laura Dally and owner Christofer Nardelli.

“I’m still shocked it happened,” Turner posted the next day on his Facebook page.

Fast Food Worker Who Stood Up For Blind Customer Gets National Praise

Although not as big a tip as the one earlier this month, left by an art mogul in his will for his two favorite waitresses, Dally says her $500 share will pay for one of her college classes this summer.

The big tipper wants to remain anonymous, but he’s likely to get the star treatment the next time he drops in for gumbo.

(WATCH the video below or READ more at WJLA News)

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Argentine Surfer Sacrifices Win for the Best Reason Possible (WATCH)

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Good News Network

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May 27, 2015

A five-time Argentinian surf champion, Matt Passeri, was set to go for another win, when suddenly he dove into the waves with an unexpected partner.

He chose to give up a chance for further glory. Instead, he offered Nicolas Gallegos, a man who had been dreaming of surfing since becoming paraplegic at age 18, the ride of a lifetime.

Nicolas longed to be a professional surfer, until an accident left him paralyzed. But on this day, he rode the waves with a man who thought it more important to fulfill someone else’s dream.

Passeri forfeited his place in the competition, but called it “the greatest victory” of his career.

(WATCH the video above by Reef) Story tip from Lynn Krumland

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DJ Takes Dying Dog on Bucket List Trip Across America (PHOTOS)

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May 27, 2015

Most people know Neil Armstrong as one of Jay-Z’s former tour DJs and creator of the Dinner & A Mixtape series.

His friends know him as Neil, pet parent of Poh the Dog.

Sixteen years ago, Armstrong adopted Poh from the North Shore Animal League, and watched as the pup ate everything in sight, from 200 Euros to a roll of toilet paper.

“Despite his strange dining choices, I love him dearly and wouldn’t change a thing,” Armstrong said.

Two years ago, after Poh’s health took a turn for the worst, Armstrong and his girlfriend, Yuko, decided that Poh was going to be right beside them as they traveled the country for their respective jobs.

“I’ve always wanted to let him dip his paws in the Pacific Ocean,” Armstrong said.

Poh Adventure New Orleans Instagram — Poh makes a friend in New Orleans.

So far, the pup has been everywhere from Phoenix to Las Vegas, San Francisco to North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., a journey that’s been well documented on Instagram.

“I’m hoping that by following along on Poh’s journey, people see how great having a pet can be,” said Armstrong. “There are lots of shelter pups out there looking for a chance to find a family of their own.”

Check out some more of the highlights below.