Half of all Lotto sales for this coming week will be donated to Christchurch earthquake relief efforts, Internal Affairs Minister Nathan Guy and the New Zealand Lotteries Commission announced today.
“Given that the core purpose of Lotto is to raise money for the community, the Government has agreed to a ‘Special Purpose Lottery’,” said Minister Guy.
Often, the most inspiring advances are born out of the need to fill a void.
When long time Parsons residents Jacque and Kelly Rector’s grandson was diagnosed at age two with type 1 diabetes, they discovered that the kind of information and support they sought was unavailable. Realizing the seriousness of the disease, and its pervasiveness both nationally and within the state of Kansas, they became determined to find a way to make lifesaving resources available in their community and make a difference for the citizens of Kansas. Kelly Rector, the former President and CEO of Wichita Southeast Kansas Transit, has always been passionate about community involvement, but suddenly the desire was deeply personal.
Often, the most inspiring advances are born out of the need to fill a void.
When long time Parsons residents Jacque and Kelly Rector’s grandson was diagnosed at age two with type 1 diabetes, they discovered that the kind of information and support they sought was unavailable. Realizing the seriousness of the disease, and its pervasiveness both nationally and within the state of Kansas, they became determined to find a way to make lifesaving resources available in their community and make a difference for the citizens of Kansas. Kelly Rector, the former President and CEO of Wichita Southeast Kansas Transit, has always been passionate about community involvement, but suddenly the desire was deeply personal.
It’s not every day that a 13-year-old boy gets a chance to address the United Nations General Assembly. But Felix Finkbeiner is no ordinary teenager.
Finkbeiner had one item on his agenda: taking adults to task for their lack of action on planting trees.
The boy is already the head of his own organization, Plant for the Planet, dedicated to planting millions of trees all around the world.
WATCH the video below, or read the story at CNN…
Frito-Lay last year unveiled the first biodegradable snack bag for a major brand, but the effort backfired somewhat and sales dropped when the SunChips bag turned out to be so loud that a Facebook group formed called, “Sorry But I Can’t Hear You Over This SunChips Bag”.
Now the company thinks it has found a solution: a rubbery adhesive sandwiched between the two layers of the bag to create a noise barrier that cuts its sound by 15 decibels.
(READ more in Fast Company)
Hundreds of New Zealanders turned out to support a market day in Lyttelton, organized by residents to help a community in need.
Free massages, food and chocolate, coffee and music were all offered to local residents in an effort to draw an already tight-knit community closer together.
The resilient community agrees with the local vicar, “We just need to keep supporting each other and rebuilding our beautiful town again with a uniqueness which will make it attractive for people to come and enjoy.”
(READ the story here)
In a full page ad purchased in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, the iconic Polish trade union, Solidarity, expressed heartfelt support for Wisconsin workers who are protesting against their governor’s plan to strip their union of its collective bargaining rights.
Piotr Duda, head of the trade union whose protests in Poland in the early 1980’s helped lead to the downfall of Soviet communism, wrote in the ad:
The White House celebrated Black History Month Thursday night with a tribute to the legendary Motown Records. Hosted by the President and First Lady, the program — to be aired March 1 on PBS — honors the Motown sound and its fifty year legacy of infusing American culture with soulful pop songs that became instant classics.
This is the eighth in a series of evening celebrations that tells the story of American culture through music. Since 2009, the Obamas have hosted musical tributes to Broadway, the genres of Jazz, Country, Classical, and Latin, along with folk music from the Civil Rights movement — all from the White House.
The White House celebrated Black History Month Thursday night with a tribute to the legendary Motown Records. Hosted by the President and First Lady, the program — to be aired March 1 on PBS — honors the Motown sound and its fifty year legacy of infusing American culture with soulful pop songs that became instant classics.
This is the eighth in a series of evening celebrations that tells the story of American culture through music. Since 2009, the Obamas have hosted musical tributes to Broadway, the genres of Jazz, Country, Classical, and Latin, along with folk music from the Civil Rights movement — all from the White House.
Clutching her groom, she looked like any beaming bride. But Emma Howard’s trip down the aisle Friday almost didn’t happen. Just 72 hours earlier she was trapped under a building that collapsed in the earthquake.
“I said to people, ‘When I was in there I was thinking, I’m meant to be married in three days,'” she said. “And they said to me, ‘You still are.'”
Have you seen any good movies lately? If not, try one of these 10 best positive psychology films of 2010.
Whether or not they are snubbed by the actual Academy Awards ceremony, these films merit awards for their specific positive psychology viewpoint and each movie is worthy of your time.
For the second year in a row, I present the positive psychology movie awards for films that best illustrate positive psychological principles:
Have you seen any good movies lately? If not, try one of these 10 best positive psychology films of 2010.
Whether or not they are snubbed by the actual Academy Awards ceremony, these films merit awards for their specific positive psychology viewpoint and each movie is worthy of your time.
For the second year in a row, I present the positive psychology movie awards for films that best illustrate positive psychological principles:
Adam Braun was on a fast track toward a lucrative corporate career, but it was a backpacking trip as a teenager in India when he met a little boy begging on the streets, that changed his stars.
Adam asked him, “What do you want most in the world?”
The boy’s reply: “A pencil.”
That moment became the spark for Pencils of Promise, an organization founded by Braun that builds schools in some of the world’s poorest countries—Laos, Nicaragua and Guatemala.
Two years later, 21 schools have been built. Thirty will be up and running by the end of 2011.
(READ and WATCH Adam’s story HERE)
A homeless man in southeast Michigan says a woman accidentally gave him a gold ring laced with diamonds when she handed him a handful of change, and now he is looking for the owner.
Michael Secaur tells The Oakland Press that he was panhandling at an intersection in Pontiac on Monday when a woman pulled up in a vehicle and handed him some money. He says the ring was among some coins, and that he thinks she “did an oops.”
WATCH the video below… or read the story at MSNBC.
A homeless man in southeast Michigan says a woman accidentally gave him a gold ring laced with diamonds when she handed him a handful of change, and now he is looking for the owner.
Michael Secaur tells The Oakland Press that he was panhandling at an intersection in Pontiac on Monday when a woman pulled up in a vehicle and handed him some money. He says the ring was among some coins, and that he thinks she “did an oops.”
Press a big button on the back of Coca-Cola’s new “Happiness Truck” and out pops a surprise — anything from a frosty Coke to a soccer ball, to a beach chair.
In their new video, the Coke “Happiness Truck” travels to Rio— and gives thirsty pedestrians free sodas along with summer fun… a beach toy, sunglasses and more.
Press a big button on the back of Coca-Cola’s new “Happiness Truck” and out pops a surprise — anything from a frosty Coke to a soccer ball, to a beach chair.
In their new video, the Coke “Happiness Truck” travels to Rio— and gives thirsty pedestrians free sodas along with summer fun… a beach toy, sunglasses and more.
We can see it every week in the business pages of newspapers and magazines. From manufacturing, to private sector service industries, from venture capital investors, and businesses from Asia to Brazil to Europe: Optimism is the new black.
Here are a five signs that optimism is brewing throughout the global economy.
We can see it every week in the business pages of newspapers and magazines. From manufacturing, to private sector service industries, from venture capital investors, and businesses from Asia to Brazil to Europe: Optimism is the new black.
Here are a five signs that optimism is brewing throughout the global economy.
Some persistent dolphins are being credited with saving a dog that had run away in Florida. The dog’s owner said he had been missing for 15 hours — and it would have been longer if the dolphins hadn’t alerted the neighbors.
“If he had to tread water all night long, I know he wouldn’t have been able to,” Cindy Burnett said from her home on Marco Island.
