This high school student sent the crowd into hysteria after she scored the final point of the basketball game.
RELATED: Teen Volunteer Wins $70,000 SUV in Charity Raffle, Then Stuns Crowd
The coach called her up for the final shot and – after giving him a hug – Lainey scored the last point.
Audience members supporting both teams leapt to their feet in jubilation.
(WATCH the video below)
Score With Your Friends: Click To Share
After a century of separation, this herd of wild bison has finally returned home to the Banff National Park in Alberta.
Bison used to roam through the park’s Eastern slopes during the early 1900’s, but human interference almost wiped out the local species entirely. The Canadian government saved the herd in a multi-million dollar buyout and relocated the animals to Elk Island National Park for conservation purposes.
RELATED: Manatee Population Has Rebounded 500 Percent, No Longer Endangered
Since bison were historically the dominant grazing species of Banff, the return of the herd will provide healthy diversity for the local ecosystem.
The herd is currently being closely monitored by Parks Canada within a carefully restricted zone. In June 2018, the bison will be allowed a much more expanded space to roam. The reintroduction program is taking these steps slowly so as to ensure a smooth transition for the species, the ecosystem, and surrounding property.
“Restoring wild bison … is the righting of wrong that was caused in the 19th century when we almost eliminated wild bison as a species.… Banff Park was involved in saving the species from extinction 100 years ago, and today it’s involved in restoring this species as part of the landscape, as a wild animal, and that is really exciting,” conservationist Harvey Locke told CBC.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share This Historic Story With Your Friends (Photo by Parks Canada)
Beanie the newborn giant anteater was rejected by her birth parents – so instead, she’s being hand-reared by the zoo and a big fluffy teddy bear.
When Beanie was born in December, her mother Inca was unable to care for her so ZSL London Zoo officials stepped in to help.
WATCH: Hummingbird Refuses to Leave the Dog Who Saved Her Life
Zookeeper Amy said: “ZSL London Zoo is home to a group of giant anteaters, male Bonito and his female mates, Inca and Sauna. We were delighted when we discovered Inca was pregnant; but unfortunately she rejected the infant so we’ve stepped in to help until the baby is big enough to go back in with her parents.
“Hand-rearing an animal is an amazing privilege, but it’s hard work too; we’ve been bottle-feeding Beanie every two to three hours with special replacement milk and making sure she’s kept warm at night with a temperature-controlled incubator.”
When Beanie is six months old, she will be reintroduced to her family and will hopefully be properly socialized by one of the more experienced mother anteaters.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share This Cute Story With Your Friends
This company divested the funds that they would usually be spending on holiday cards to make a difference in the world instead.
Qmarkets, a global provider of enterprise idea and innovation management software, has partnered with UK-based charity Renewable World, to provide renewable energy to communities on the shores of Lake Victoria, Kenya.
RELATED: Man Creates ‘Shoes That Grow’ So Poor Kids Don’t Outgrow Them
Vice President of Marketing Eran Tsur shared “We heard about the brilliant life-changing work that Renewable World is doing across the globe, and we felt that partnering with them could be our way to contribute to this noble cause while at the same time sharing this gift of giving with our amazing customers and partners.”
Marie Hounslow, Fundraising Manager at Renewable World, stated that, “We were delighted when Qmarkets decided to support our Lake Victoria Appeal that has helped bring access to energy to fishing communities in Kenya. We thought this was a wonderful and thoughtful way of celebrating the holiday season and raising awareness of the work we do to tackle energy poverty in developing countries.”
MORE: These Logs of Coffee Grounds Are a Lifeline for Encamped Refugees
Renewable World asks communities about their needs, assesses the natural resources available to them; and works with them to plan renewable energy systems that will provide them with important resources, such as water, light, or electricity.
“Partnering with the Renewable World on this special project was our way to contribute and to say thank you to all our contacts who helped make 2016 such a great year for us,” says Noam Danon, Qmarkets’ CEO. “We are proud to take part in this life-changing initiative and we’re especially proud to see that our contacts have appreciated this project.”
Light Up Social Media: Click To Share – Photo by Renewable World
These lifeguards may not have been able to rescue three struggling swimmers from the vicious waves if it hadn’t been for the help of nearby civilians.
RELATED VIDEO: Dog Wearing Life Jacket is Found Adrift in Vast Gulf of Mexico
That’s when a dozen pedestrians leapt into action and formed a human chain to help pull the swimmers to safety.
When everyone is successfully brought back to the shore, onlookers erupt into applause while the heroes exchange hugs and kisses in gratitude.
(WATCH the video below)
Help Your Friends Sea This Story: Click To Share
Well, it’s that time of year again.
Amidst Lady Gaga’s glamorous half-time show performance and the New England Patriots making the most incredible comeback of the century, we were treated to some of the year’s best advertisements.
Featuring everyone from average Joes to our favorite celebrities, these promos had some pretty legendary messages of encouragement and motivation.
This Honda commercial had such beloved stars as Steve Carell, Stan Lee, Missy Elliot, Viola Davis, Robert Redford, and Tina Fey all channeling the ghosts of their yearbook personas to tell us that we have the power to become whomever we want to be.
We especially love Jimmy Kimmel’s appearance in an embarrassingly ruffley blue suit.
Audi’s Equal Pay promo is a bit of a tearjerker.
A tough young girl is speeding down a go-cart track while her father narrates his worries concerning her future with the glass ceiling.
As she speeds into first place, however, his worries are put to rest.
The opening of Dignity Health’s ad is an all too familiar scene featuring a white cop slowly approaching a black teenager in the street.
But what starts as a tense exchange becomes a friendly game of neighborhood basketball.
The title says it all – in a hilarious showcase of the new Kia Niro, Melissa McCarthy utilizes the fashionable car to be the hero she wants to be.
On her mission to save the planet, however, things get a little bumpy along the way. But at least she has reliable transportation!
Score With Your Friends: Click To Share – OR,
This mother had been in mourning ever since her 16-year-old daughter Macy Mathis was killed in a car accident. Her mind was eased, however, when she discovered the 25 letters left behind for her.
MORE: She Sold Late Husband’s Lamborghini, Raised $500K for Suicide Prevention
“I want you to know that I love you,” read the note. “I feel like I don’t tell you that enough. And since you can’t sleep and you’re probably stressed about something, I need you to know that I love you.”
The bundle of notes had originally been a birthday gift to Cindy, but they have since become her most valued possessions.
RELATED: Daughter Fulfills Dad’s Last Wish With Side-Splitting Obituary
The other notes, with titles including “When you miss me”, “When you’re excited”, and “When you’re restless”, have been posted to Macy’s memorial Facebook page by Cindy. The page currently has over 6,000 followers.
“Each [letter] has helped me in so many ways,” Cindy told CBSN. “It’s like she knew, but she didn’t know… It’s an amazing feeling. It feels like she’s there with me.”
Multiply The Good: Click To Share (Photo by Cindy Mathis)
Gregory Locke had just boarded a subway car to Manhattan on Friday night with some friends when he realized that something was seriously wrong.
RELATED: Texas Mosque Burns Down, Donations Exceed 500K in Just 24 Hours
“The train was silent as everyone stared at each other, uncomfortable and unsure what to do,” said Locke. “One guy got up and said, ‘Hand sanitizer gets rid of Sharpie. We need alcohol.’ He found some tissues and got to work.”
Locke and several other New Yorkers started scrubbing away at the markings.
“I’ve never seen so many people simultaneously reach into their bags and pockets looking for tissues and Purel. Within about two minutes, all the Nazi symbolism was gone.”
Multiply The Good: Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Gregory Locke)
This group of friendly U.K. commuters are fighting loneliness by handing out free buttons that read “Happy To Chat”.
An organization of politicians, called the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness in honor of the late British Labour Party parliament member, created the initiative as a way of responding to the isolation that affects over 9 million UK residents each year.
“Jo Cox put it perfectly ‘young or old, loneliness doesn’t discriminate… it is something man of us could easily help with. Looking in on a neighbor, visiting and elderly relative, or making that call or visit we’ve been promising to a friend we haven’t seen in a long time.’
RELATED: Child With Invisible Disability Creates Bathroom Sign With Go-Ahead from Government
“Loneliness can affect everyone at any stage of their life. You can be party of the solution by letting people known that you are #HappyToChat.”
The commission is currently working on educating communities on positive ways to fight loneliness and developing partnerships with Action for Children, Age UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and The British Red Cross.
Give This Story Some Company: Click To Share
Suicidal behavior among active-duty service members can be reduced for up to six months with a relatively simple intervention that gives them concrete steps to follow during an emotional crisis, according to a new study.
The study’s findings show there was a 75% reduction in suicide attempts among participants who engaged in crisis response planning versus using a contract for safety. The more effective crisis response planning also was associated with a significantly faster decline in suicidal thoughts and fewer inpatient hospitalization days.
RELATED: Simple Checklist Leads to 82% Drop in Mental Health Patient Suicides
The study compared the effectiveness of two risk management strategies:
Crisis response planning, which involves writing on an index card the steps for identifying one’s personal warning signs along with coping strategies, social support, and professional services as opposed to using safety contracts, which only means getting a commitment from a suicidal patient to avoid self harm.
The researchers also conducted an analysis to see if an enhanced crisis response plan that added an explicit discussion of the participant’s reasons for living would provide even better results, but this enhancement did no better or worse than a standard crisis response plan without this enhancement.
MORE: Quiet Time Program Brings Radical Improvement To Schools Worldwide
Each participant had active suicide ideation and/or a lifetime history of attempted suicide and had actively sought help at a military medical clinic in Fort Carson, Colorado, in 2013 and between January 2015 and February 2016. The soldiers were offered one of the three interventions, which varied in the combination of supportive counseling, strategies to manage emotional distress, education about crisis services, and referrals to treatment services. The researchers followed the 97 participants over a six-month follow-up period.
The crisis response plan was a central ingredient of another successful treatment developed by many of the same researchers at the National Center for Veterans Studies – brief cognitive behavioral therapy – which contributed to a 60% reduction in suicide attempts among active duty soldiers.
CHECK OUT: This Bar’s Simple But Clever Way of Combatting Sexual Assault
“Our previous results showing a significant reduction in suicide attempts were based on a treatment that heavily emphasized crisis response planning,” said Craig J. Bryan, an associate professor of psychology and director of the U’s National Center for Veterans Studies and leader of the research team. “This time around, we tested crisis response planning by itself and found that it reduced suicide attempts as well. This bolsters our confidence in the technique’s effectiveness.”
Overall, the findings show that giving active-duty service members who are at risk of suicide a crisis response plan may be a more effective way to keep them safe than a contract for safety. And because of its brevity and simplicity, the crisis response plan strategy could feasibly be implemented in a wide range of medical settings by diverse health care professionals.
“Suicidal individuals don’t always visit mental health clinics when in crisis,” Bryan said. “They also visit emergency departments and primary care clinics or talk to friends and family members. Crisis response planning could be a practical and effective way to connect those in greatest need of potentially life-saving treatment.”
Click To Share The Breakthrough With Your Friends – (Source: University of Utah – Photo by Hire Patriots)
Though it may not look like a helpless creature, this giant dark mass is actually a manta ray struggling to get free while stranded on a beach.
RELATED: Dog Wearing Life Jacket is Found Adrift in Vast Gulf of Mexico
With the assistance of at least six other passersby, who remained persistent despite waves pushing the animal back to shore, the enormous ocean dweller finally had enough momentum to escape the incoming tide.
No word on which beach the rescue occurred, but the pictures are compelling and the outcome a happy one…
MORE: Oregon Beachgoers Form Human Chain to Rescue Swimmer
(WATCH the video below)
Help Your Friends Sea This Story: Click To Share
Boston firefighter Mike Materia is set to marry Roseann Sdoia in a wedding ceremony this fall – and the happy couple might never have met if Roseann hadn’t been standing near the finish line of the Boston Marathon in 2013 when a terrorist’s bomb exploded.
After the explosive detonated, Matt came to the aid of his future wife and accompanied the severely wounded woman to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment, staying with her during the entire ambulance ride.
RELATED: World’s Longest Marriage Ends in Husband’s Death: Wife Says It was Blessing to be Married
“In the hospital, my mom tried to set me up with him,” Sdoia told the New York Post. “She was like, ‘Oh, did you see that firefighter? He’s so cute.’ And I was like, ‘Mom, I just got blown up.’ ”
“I knew I was starting to have feelings for him because he was so kind and caring. And he has an unbelievable smile.”
Two months after the incident, they went on their first date. The rest, as they say, is history.
(WATCH the inspiring video below)
Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends
What these fashionable guinea pigs lack in fur, they make up for in style.
RELATED: How Mervin the Rescue Chihuahua Melted 30,000 Hearts on Instagram
When the critter’s current owner originally discovered him in an irresponsible pet store, he was sick and abandoned. After some tender loving care, however, Ludwik has recovered —and even become a social media star.
He even has a girlfriend who helps him with some of his photo shoots.
You can follow this unique little fashionista on Instagram or Facebook.
(WATCH the cute video below)
Don’t Be Shy: Click To Share With Your Friends
Tom Brady’s job may be to stay cool when facing a tackle by an onslaught of 250-pound men, but this question from during a press conference caught the football player off his guard.
RELATED VIDEO: Have Tissues Ready – Gwen Stefani Invites Bullied Fan on Stage
Visibly moved by the question, it took a little while before the quarterback could get the full answer out.
He grew misty-eyed as he responded, “I think my dad is my hero, because he’s someone I look up to every day and… my dad.”
(WATCH the video below)
Score a Super Bowl Win With Your Friends: Click To Share
These Afghan teens face oppression and prejudice every day – but now, they’re fighting back with martial arts.
RELATED: Afghan Girls, Not Allowed On Bikes, Shred On Skateboards Instead
The students, ranging in age from 13 to 20, derive benefits beyond just learning self-defense – the classes also turn the vulnerable youths into young adults with solid self-esteem.
“I am working with Afghan girls to strengthen their abilities and I love to see Afghan girls improve in a way that other girls have improved around the world,” Sima Azimi, the 20-year-old woman responsible for teaching the group, told Reuters.
(WATCH the inspiring video below)
Click To Share This Inspiring Program With Your Friends
Kiersten Miles had only been babysitting 9-month-old Talia Rosko for a few weeks before she decided to make a big sacrifice that would end up saving the baby’s life.
Talia was born with biliary atresia – a rare liver disease that can be deadly if not treated within the first couple years of life. Although she was on the transplant list to receive a new liver, her parents were told that she wouldn’t live beyond two years if a suitable donor could not be found.
RELATED: Hooters Waitress Gives Kidney to Customer She Barely Knew
The selfless 22-year-old college student was never hindered by the thought that surgery would be much of a sacrifice.
After a 14-hour procedure at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Talia and Kiersten spent a week in recovery before being released with a healthy diagnosis.
“She has turned a hopeless situation into a hopeful situation,” Talia’s parent told TODAY. “Without Kiersten we would be sitting waiting for a deceased donor to come and save Talia. We would be watching our baby deteriorate. Without Kiersten I’m not sure where we would be…to be honest, I don’t really want to think about it.”
“After going through the entire process from start to finish, I would 100 percent do it again. I think it’s very important (that) people know exactly what they are volunteering to do and what the recovery is like, but it’s such a small price to pay in comparison to saving a life,” said Kiersten.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share The Sweet News With Your Friends (Photo by Kiersten Miles)
1,200 people have found housing; 2,300 people have found jobs; 6,000 people have found purpose and transformation – and it’s all because of running.
Back On My Feet is a nonprofit that helps homeless people turn their lives around through jogging, as well as community support and housing resources.
RELATED: Shop Owner Sets Up “Take One, Leave One” Coat Rack for Homeless
Since the program’s start in 2007, 80% of participants have successfully moved onto the second phase.
Thanks to Back on My Feet’s transformational experience, over 4,000 members have obtained jobs, homes, and GEDs – and according to the nonprofit’s website, 90% of members have maintained their employment; 60% have received a wage increase; and 20% have achieved a promotion.
“There’s obviously need across America for the work that we do, but we want to grow in an organic way,” says Terence Gerchberg, Executive Director of the Back on My Feet New York City Chapter. “There is no simple solution; it’s like a marathon. You set some goals and you get to a finish line and that’s what we’re doing on a larger scale. People sign up for it because they want to see some kind of transformation. The act of running gives them that feeling of accomplishment.”
“We are revolutionizing the way our society approaches homelessness” CEO Katy Sherratt told the Good News Network. “The simple act of putting one foot in front of the other is the foundation for the rest of our program. Back on My Feet provides practical training and employment resources for achieving independence; an environment that promotes accountability; and a community that offers compassion and hope for our members. All aimed at transforming lives, one mile at a time.”
(WATCH the video below)
Run This Story Over To Your Friends: Click To Share – OR, [icopyright_one_button_toolbar]
This mother and her two children were disgusted by the trend of recently erected beds of spikes designed to prevent homeless people sleeping in front of buildings – so they fought back with cushions and food.
Jennie Platt saw the installment of the spikes in front of the Pall Mall Court in Manchester, England on the local news. So, Jennie recruited her 11 and 10-year-old sons George and Sam for a Sunday shopping mission.
RELATED: Shop Owner Sets Up “Take One, Leave One” Coat Rack for Homeless
“I thought it was really mean and a Scroogey thing to do, it is really unnecessary,” Platt told the Manchester Evening News. “It’s a spot where people can keep warm and sheltered, people don’t need to be that mean.”
After significant public outcry, the spikes were removed 48 hours after they had been installed.
City center spokespeople condemned the spikes and said that they would work with the building managers concerning the homeless visitors.
(WATCH the video below)
Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends (Photos by Colette Stevens)
These young patients are in need of a smile just as much as anyone else on Valentine’s Day – which is why you can now send them a Valentine’s card for free.
RELATED: Too Cute – John Boyega and Tiny Cancer Patient Wage Star Wars Gift Run
The cards feature such cute designs as a dinosaur saying “You’re DINO-mite!” and a robot with “I care a-BOT you!”
It may not be much, but it’s nice for the kids to feel that someone out there in the world wants to wish them a happy Valentine’s Day.
What Are You Waiting For? Click To Share
Because of the rare skin disease that constantly plagues his body, John Hudson Dilgen can’t really live the normal life of a 14-year-old boy.
Thanks to the kindness of strangers, however, he may be able to come closer than ever before.
WATCH: Owl Flies Right Into Moving Car Window, Breaks Both Wings But Caring People Save it
His parents found hope for John’s future when they discovered the Microsilk Tub – a bathtub that oxygenates the water with microbubbles that are able to enter fractures in the skin and carry out impurities without the need for chemicals.
The family created a GoFundMe page to finance the expansion of the bathroom to house the special tub with a goal of $40,000. Within a week, strangers had donated over $100,000.
“We are absolutely amazed and in awe at the love that has come to us the last week,” John’s mom Faye Dilgen told the Good News Network. “There was no way to prepare for the outpouring of resources, skills, donations and prayers as have received. We are humbled and thankful.”
Click To Share The News With Your Friends
