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Community Helps Blind Lady Who Spent Savings on Sick Miniature Guide Pony

By
McKinley Corbley
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Panda the miniature guide pony and her blind owner Ann Edie have been together for 14 years – so when Panda fell sick one year ago, her adoring companion spent thousands of dollars in order to save her.

For the last 12 months, Panda has suffered from intestinal blockage, pneumonia, and severe diarrhea. In order to survive the strenuous road to recovery, the pony has been in and out of the hospital for weeks at a time, wracking up over $30,000 in veterinary bills.

Ann wasn’t about to give up her beloved guide horse, so she and her retired husband tapped into their life savings in order to pay for the procedures.

RELATED: Thousands of Blind Dogs Get New Leash on Life With This Wearable Device

In a bid to help her desperate friends, Alexandra Kurland, the trainer who first paired Panda with Ann, started a YouCaring crowdfunding page with a goal of $10,000 to help pay for the medical bills.

Without hesitation, the community stepped up, donating thousands.

“Panda has been the best guide imaginable for me for the past 13 years. But she has been so much more than just a service animal,” says Ann. “She is so much more than just a means for letting me, as a blind person, travel smoothly and efficiently around my community. Her joy in her work and in her life always puts a smile on my face.”

“Thanks to our wonderful community of family and friends, we have been able to make a considerable dent in Panda’s vet bills, and we are feeling very optimistic about her prospects for health and happiness in the new year.”

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Amazon to Include Homeless Shelter Inside New Building

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McKinley Corbley
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The newest Amazon headquarters won’t just be the home of the best online shopping company – it will also be a shelter to 200 homeless women, children, and families.

The company announced yesterday that they will be dedicating 47,000 square feet of the new building to Mary’s Place – an organization that runs several homeless shelters in Washington.

“To have a permanent downtown Seattle location within Amazon is a game-changer for Mary’s Place and the families we serve,” said Marty Hartman, Executive Director of Mary’s Place. “We’ve loved being Amazon’s neighbor, and now the opportunity to move into their headquarters permanently is truly a dream come true. This unique, first-of-its-kind shelter will remind families that they matter and that their community wants to help them succeed.”

RELATED: Microsoft Co-founder Pledges $30M Towards Housing For Seattle’s Homeless

The families of Mary’s Place are due to move in with Amazon in 2020. The company boasts that their employees have spent a lot of time volunteering at the old Mary’s Place location, and the first-of-its-kind merger is suspected to encourage more workers to participate in shelter activities.

“Mary’s Place does incredible, life-saving work every day for women, children, and families experiencing homelessness in the Seattle community,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “We are lucky to count them as neighbors and thrilled to offer them a permanent home within our downtown Seattle headquarters – Amazon employees and Mary’s Place residents will move in together in early 2020.”

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Driver Saves 56 Kids in School Bus Seconds Before it Goes Up in Flames

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Good News Network
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If it weren’t for this bus driver’s quick-thinking, there may have been a disastrous tragedy inside this flaming school bus.

Teresa Stroble was dropping off 56 kids at their respective bus stops on Tuesday when two children in the back said that there was smoke coming from inside the vehicle.

Stroble pulled the bus over, and evacuated every last child on the bus, leading them to safety just seconds before the vehicle went up in flames.

RELATED: Teens Are Instant Heroes For Saving a Boy Who Fell Off a Cliff

The South Carolina school district’s superintendent Scott Turner recognized Stroble in a Twitter post shortly after the event, saying: “Hero!! Ms. Teresa Stroble … evacuated 56 students in under a minute. God bless her. So grateful for her quick action.”

Though the cause of the fire is unknown, pedestrians who witnessed the blaze reportedly said that they could feel the heat from all of the way across the street.

(WATCH the video below)

 

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Mosque Opens Its Doors to Stressed Parents Waiting in the Heat

By
McKinley Corbley
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Dozens of parents waiting on their students amidst examinations were waiting out in the sun without proper shade or hydration earlier this weekend – so this mosque opened their doors to them instead.

Hundreds of families arrived in Kerala, India on Sunday morning for their aspiring students to take the Central Board of Secondary Education’s National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (CBES NEET) – an entrance examination for youths planning to study certain government or medical courses.

Some of the parents who had to travel from farther away had left in such a rush, that they had forgotten to eat or drink anything for the journey – and since it was Sunday, no restaurants were open to cater to their needs.

Fortunately, Muhammad Navas and several of his friends were leaving the mosque across the street from the school when they saw the crowd of exhausted parents.

CHECK OUT: Mall Opens its Doors for Stray Dogs During Winter Storm

After asking around, the parents explained that they were waiting on their kids inside.

Muhammad, who happens to be the secretary of the foundation that runs the mosque, the Vadihuda Trust, opened the doors of the religious sanctuary and invited everyone inside, away from the sun. Muhammad and his friends called a friend of theirs who ran a nearby tea shop and asked if he could open the store and cater to the parents.

The secretary then got clean drinking water to serve throughout the day.

The gesture of kindness has garnered widespread applause on social media – especially in light of reports that dozens of students were unnecessarily harassed and frisked to prevent cheating on the exam. Four teachers have since been suspended for their ‘overzealousness’, and representatives of the CBES expressed their regret and apologies.

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Yousuf Pulappatta Vynippadath)

Girls Show Adults How it’s Done: to Stop Using Styrofoam School-wide

By
McKinley Corbley
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These two 9-year-olds weren’t going to wait around for the adults to do something about their school’s waste problem – so they took matters into their own hands.

Lyla and Katie are both third graders at East Cooper Montessori Charter School in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. During one of their lessons, they learned about the negative effects of styrofoam on the environment – from how long it takes to biodegrade, to how much it contributes to landfills worldwide.

Mortified by how the cafeteria still used styrofoam trays instead of plastic, the kids wondered whether the school could simply buy a dishwasher and reusable dinnerware.

RELATED: 12-Year-old Girl Outsmarts Carjacker and Saves Little Sister

The girls spoke to the head chef about their dilemma. The chef then contacted the school district for a quote on the dishwasher. The price of both new plastic trays and a dish washing machine came to $10,000.

Unfazed by the sum, Lyla and Katie got to work – and with a little assistance from Lyla’s mother Eliza Hardman, who is also a school teacher at East Cooper, the girls kicked butt.

“I was thrilled to help! I wanted to make sure the girls had done their research, which they had,” Eliza told the Good News Network. “They had already talked to the school chef, who contacted the district about getting a quote for the dishwasher. They had also made posters to put around the school and a donation box for the front office. Then, after they wrote up their mission statement, and I saw how serious they were, I knew it was time for me to get involved.”

CHECK OUT: Boy Who Sent 3,500 Comic Books to Soldiers is Rewarded With Best Day Ever

Eliza created a GoFundMe campaign to help with the third grader’s goal – and they’ve already raised $1,500.

Though there’s still a long way to go, Lyla and Katie are turning heads with their gusto and determination.

“I am so proud of Lyla and the efforts she and her friend Katie have made to help their school. It’s inspiring to see two people so young make such a positive impact. Both girls have really big hearts and already are developing an awareness and concern for environmental and social issues, so to see them put their ideas into action is really exciting!”

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends (Photo by Eliza Hardman)

Morning Cup of Coffee Can Now Easily Create Biofuel

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Good News Network
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Future Americano, cappuccino, and latte drinkers could help produce the raw material for a greener biofuel that would reduce our reliance on diesel from fossil fuels.

Purpose-grown feedstocks (used to extract oils) for biodiesels are controversial because of the cost and the demand that they place on land and water. However, used coffee grounds, which have a high calorific value, offer a good low-cost alternative feedstock. However, most used coffee grounds are currently just dumped. In 2014 more than nine million tonnes of spent coffee grounds were sent to landfill.

Although a small number of businesses are using spent coffee grounds to make biofuels, researchers at Lancaster University have found a way to significantly improve the efficiency of the process, vastly increasing biofuel from coffee’s commercial competitiveness.

RELATED: These Logs of Coffee Grounds Are a Lifeline for Encamped Refugees

The chemical engineers have consolidated the existing multi-stage process into one step (known as in-situ transesterification), which combines extraction of the oils from the spent coffee grounds and the conversion of it into coffee biodiesel.

In the traditional process, manufacturers mix spent coffee grounds with hexane and cook the mixture at 60°C for between 1-2 hours. The hexane is then evaporated to leave behind the oils. Methanol and a catalyst is then added to make biodiesel, and a glycerol by-product – which also needs separating.

MORE: Good News For Pregnant Women Who Love Drinking Coffee

Lancaster University researchers, led by Dr. Vesna Najdanovic-Visak, found that they are able to combine the processes by using just methanol and a catalyst – removing the need for hexane altogether and saving on chemical waste. In addition, they also discovered that the optimal time for the process was 10 minutes to gain the same yield of oils from the spent coffee grounds – a significant reduction in time needed and associated energy costs.

“Our method vastly reduces the time and cost needed to extract the oils for biofuel making spent coffee grounds a much more commercially competitive source of fuel,” said Dr. Najdanovic-Visak, Lecturer in Lancaster University’s Engineering Department. “A huge amount of spent coffee grounds, which are currently just being dumped in landfill, could now be used to bring significant environmental benefits over diesel from fossil fuel sources.”

The process has the potential to enable 720,000 ton of biodiesel to be produced each year from spent coffee grounds.

(Source: Lancaster University)

Thanks A Latte For Reading: Click To Share With Your Friends (Photo by Rockindave1, CC)

Man With Down Syndrome Completes 33 Years of Dedicated Service in Fast Food

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Good News Network
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Daniel Lybrink has spent 33 loyal years working for a McDonald’s restaurant – so on Monday, in honor of his contagiously cheerful personality, the special employee was given a surprise retirement party.

Daniel, who has Down syndrome, has been working for the golden arches in Howell, Michigan since 1984 as a lobby manager.

RELATED VIDEO: Teen With Down Syndrome Shocked When Friend Uses Doritos to Ask Her To Prom

A neighboring branch in Brighton hosted the party joined by friends, family, guests, and employees. Everyone was encouraged to sign a memory album, so he could be reminded of all of his acquaintances in his golden years.

According to WHMI, Daniel will be moving to Lake Michigan with his roommates to kick back, relax, and roll in his retirement with his favorite outdoor activities.

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City of Atlanta Legalizes Tiny Houses

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Good News Network
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Tiny houses are now free to be erected within the city of Atlanta.

As a means of addressing affordable housing issues, the Atlanta City Council in Georgia just approved an amendment within their city zoning legislation that allows “accessory dwelling units.”

The amendment applies to two family residential neighborhoods within the city, eliminating the need for restrictions on the size of a housing structure. City ordinance previously required structures to be over 750 square feet.

CHECK OUT: Man Builds Tiny House for Homeless Woman Sleeping in the Dirt

A statement within the legislation reading: “accessory dwelling units without off-street parking on parcels without a curbcut or parcels without off-street parking” also implies that residents who don’t own a car are encouraged to move in to the city.

“The sky’s the limit to what’s possible,” Atlanta city councilman Kwanza Hall told Atlanta magazine. “It’s just up to us as a community to figure out what we want to do, what we envision in the future, and opening up as many possibilities as we can dream up.”

Click To Share This Big Story With Your Friends (Photo by Tiny House Scotland)

Watch College Grad’s Reaction When She’s Offered Job During Commencement

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Good News Network
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Some students might be worrying about how they’re going to land a job after they’re finished with school – but not this happy graduate.

Melanie Sanchez was in the middle of her graduation commencement ceremony when her phone rang.

When she saw that she didn’t know the number, she thought maybe it was the job offer that she had been waiting for.

RELATED VIDEO: Adorable Reaction of Little Girl’s Friends to Her New Pink Prosthetic

Though it’s technically not allowed, Melanie picked up the phone only to find that she was correct – she had been given a position as a marketing specialist with a Florida health care company.

Unable to contain her joy, Melanie’s reaction inspired her friend to film the excitement she was experiencing as one chapter of her life ended and another new one began.

(WATCH the video below)

 

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These Blobs May Be the Future of Plastic Water Bottles

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McKinley Corbley
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These funny looking globs might spell the end of plastic bottles polluting the ocean.

The Ooho! is an “edible water bottle” made entirely out of sustainable packaging.

Designed by London-based startup Skipping Rocks Labs, the biodegradable container is made out of a thin, flexible membrane composed of sodium alginate – a natural derivative of brown algae – and calcium chloride. It can be either ripped open, allowing the individual to drink the liquid out of the membrane, or simply consumed whole.

Each glob contains 250 ml each, costing only about 2 cents to make.

RELATED: Man Creates ‘Shoes That Grow’ So Poor Kids Don’t Outgrow Them

Skipping Rocks already designed the Ooho! in 2014, however they are now seeking funding on CrowdCube for the product’s large-scale manufacturing.

The startup is currently producing only about 2,000 Oohos! a day, but they start marketing the globule and music festivals and outdoor events next year.

With 1 billion plastic containers making their way into the ocean every year, Skipping Rocks hope that the Ooho! will be the new, cheaper alternative to convenient plastic packaging.

“I think a lot of the issue with sustainability and being greener is that it leaves the consumer out of the experience,” Sean Coary, a consumer behavior expert at St. Joseph’s University told The Christian Science Monitor. “If you buy a plastic bottle that is made of 30 percent less plastic, you really don’t experience your contribution to a greener society, whereas if you ‘eat’ your water bottle, you’re actually reminding yourself and consciously thinking of this step that you’re taking to be sustainable, to be greener, and that could have a more positive impact on the consumer.”

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Ooho!)

UK’s First Zero Waste Store Just Opened – and it’s Wildly Popular

By
McKinley Corbley
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Everyone knows the common saying “waste not, want not” – but this couple has taken it to a whole other level.

Nicola and Richard of Devon, England became tired of taking heaps upon heaps of their recycling to the city center. They were frustrated by the journeys back and forth, and surprised at just how much waste the two of them made.

Then, the couple got an idea.

“We had seen an article of a zero waste shop in Berlin, and thought what a great idea it was,” Nicola told the Good News Network. “This combined with our ever growing heap of ‘recycling’ at our apartment … made us want a different way to shop, and there wasn’t one- so we created one!”

MORE: Solar Water Wheels Prevent 1Mil Pounds of Trash From Entering Baltimore Harbor

Nicola and Richard opened the first Zero Waste Shop in the United Kingdom – and it has been wildly successful.

“All food (even liquids and nut butters) comes loose and gets put directly into the customers own reusable container,” says Nicola. “We reuse, reduce, or recycle as much of the packaging that we get as possible. We donate the large paper sacks to customers to use as mulching on their allotments and we reuse the plastic drums with each new order of our cleaning products company.”

The store is just as conscious about food waste as well – since the food isn’t pre-packaged, customers are also able to buy as much of a product as they need without having to worry buying to much and using it all before it goes bad. Plus, everything sold is organic;  the cleaning products are non-toxic; and the soap is locally hand-made.

CHECK OUT: New USDA Guidelines Will Prevent Thousands of Pounds of Food Waste

People have reportedly come from far and wide to check out the wares, which only serves to spread the message of conscious, responsible consumerism.

Though Nicola and Richard don’t plan on opening up any more stores – they are just one humble family, after all – they are working on putting out a downloadable PDF manual on how you can open up your own zero waste shop in your area.

“The opening of our shop has brought plastic pollution to the forefront of peoples minds. We have had emails thanking us for taking this step, people have expressed that it made them analyze their plastic usage, and that it has encouraged them to make changes in their lives. We feel we have also demonstrated to people that it takes just one person to make one change for it to have a huge impact.”

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share This Tasty Story With Your Friends (Photo by Zero Waste Shop)

Boy Who Sent 3,500 Comic Books to Soldiers is Rewarded With Best Day Ever

By
McKinley Corbley
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This 9-year-old boy loves comic books so much, he wanted to share his passion with American soldiers – and in return, they gave him a day that he won’t soon forget.

Carl is the mastermind behind Carl’s Comix: a website dedicated to comic book reviews and interviews. When one of his subscribers asked if he had ever thought about donating comic books to those in need, the 9-year-old had an idea.

Carl contacted Jennifer Myers of the Department Veterans Affairs and Veterans Benefits Administration, asking her if he could donate some of his comics to veterans and soldiers deployed overseas. After she said yes, Carl got to work collecting comics.

RELATED: Family of 6 Boys Donates Combined 17 Feet Of Hair After Friend’s Death

The boy called up a few of his friends and started asking for donations at a comic book show. Through his campaigning, Carl managed to accumulate 3,500 comic books – 300 of which were his own.

After donating several hundred of the books to Lyons Veterans Hospital in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, he then planned to bring several more boxes to the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Trenton.

“They felt really grateful for the donation because all of the books would go to veterans in the hospital who need something fun to read and something to cheer them up,” says Carl. “I was really happy that they were so excited about them.”

CHECK OUT: Teens Are Instant Heroes For Saving a Boy Who Fell Off a Cliff

When he arrived, however, he didn’t expect to be greeted with a hero’s welcome.

Several high-ranking officers were waiting to give him a VIP tour of the base. Carl was allowed to try on military gear and explore the inside of a plane and helicopter. Then, the officers awarded him 3 different medals of excellence in recognition of his kindness.

“They all gathered around and Commander Lowery said that she had a medal for me. I was so surprised when she handed me her coin of excellence. It made me feel very special and excited. Everybody who was outside applauded for me. I was so surprised I could barely stand!”

“Jennifer Myers spoke with me to make sure I understood what these coins meant and that I would always treasure them. We all hugged goodbye and thanked her for setting up such a special day. I do not think I have ever felt as special and welcome as everybody at Joint Base MDL made me feel!”

Click To Share This Sweet Story With Your Friends (Photo by Carl’s Comix)

Irish Beach Washed Away 33 Years Ago Has Just Returned Overnight

By
McKinley Corbley
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The tourism in this tiny Irish town has suffered since their beautiful swath of beach was washed away 33 years ago.

But just as suddenly as it disappeared, it has returned.

Storms hit the sands of Dooagh on Achill Island in Ireland back in 1984, leaving nothing but harsh rock and puddles in the place of the beach.

Since the island’s towns largely depended on the beach as a tourism draw, the local economy took a serious blow.

RELATED: Major Earthquake May Have Saved Island From Coastal Erosion

Then, around Easter time in April, a strange cold snap descended on the island, bringing a strong steady wind and a ‘freak tide’ from the north.

Hundreds of thousands of tons of sand washed up on the shore once more, recreating the 300-meter stretch of beach that the locals missed so dearly.

Though the beach’s strange return has already drawn visitors from around the country, island locals are hoping that the beach will receive a blue-flag inspection next year, a special Irish eco-certification.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Have You Got The Sand To Share This Story? (Photo by Achill Tourism Office)

Instead of Punishing Girl For Stealing, Cop Helps Her Out

By
McKinley Corbley
-

This police officer is being hailed for his kindness after he received a call from a dollar store about a 12-year-old girl who was caught stealing.

Officer Milton was told by local Family Dollar Store employees in Atlanta, Georgia that a young girl had been apprehended trying to smuggle out $2 shoes.

When confronted about her actions, Officer Milton was heartbroken to discover that she had been stealing the shoes for her younger sister because her family couldn’t afford them.

Instead of punishing her for her misdemeanor, the compassionate cop gave the girl a ride back to her home and met her family.

RELATED: Cop Herds Lost Goats into His Police Car, Finds Owners Using Cute Pics

The mother of the Staples family was a parent to four kids, the youngest of which was a newborn baby. Though her husband held a job, they were still having trouble making ends meet and they couldn’t afford a sitter.

As a means of comforting the family, Officer Milton bought them four pizzas and drinks for dinner.

Though he did not want recognition for his deed, a fellow police officer leaked the story to outside sources. The Atlanta Police Department then made a Facebook post asking for donations for the unfortunate family.

(WATCH the video below)

 

Click To Share The Inspiring Story With Your Friends (Photo by Atlanta Police Department)

Saudi Women Will No Longer Need Men’s Permission to Seek Education, Health Care

By
McKinley Corbley
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Credit, Tribes of the World, CC 3.0. BY SA.

Saudi Arabia is slowly – but surely – starting to join the modern world in terms of gender equality

Though the kingdom is still one of the most gender segregated nations in the world, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud announced that women will finally be allowed to work, study, and seek health care without needing a man’s consent.

This will allow millions of women to start employment in the private and public sector, pursue an education, and explore medical treatment without the written permission of a father, brother, husband, or son.

RELATED: Former Child Brides Win Case in Court: Zimbabwe Bans Child Marriage

The ruling comes one year after the nation broke historic barriers by holding the first election in which women were allowed to vote. A total of 20 women were elected into public office after King Abdullah granted women the rights to hold office and participate in local elections in 2011.

The country has also started edging away from oil dependency following the recent announcement of a $50 billion renewable energy plan.

Saudi Arabia plans on harnessing 10 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2023 by constructing several wind and solar plants throughout the nation. Completion of the initiative will likely result in 700 gigawatts.

Click To Share The News With Your Friends (Photo by Tribes of the World, CC)

Eli Manning Just Scored a Perfect Goal For Kids Cancer Research

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Good News Network
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The beloved New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning just scored the goal of a lifetime with these kids.

More than 500 youth and community groups joined stars from the world of sports to celebrate raising more than $250,000 as part of “Eli’s Challenge,” a campaign led by the star football player.

The campaign is part of the Tackle Kids Cancer Program, which raises money for critical research and programs at the Children’s Cancer Institute at Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center.

RELATED: Tim Tebow Arranges Night To Remember For 32,000 Special Needs Kids

Emcee and NBC4 New York Sports Anchor Bruce Beck, Giants Legend Shaun O’Hara, Knicks Legend John Starks and New York Red Bulls Goalie Luis Robles joined Manning in paying tribute to community groups that demonstrated extraordinary effort and creativity with their fundraising programs, which ranged from car washes to bake sales.

“It is truly inspiring to see how many community groups held bake sales, car washes and other fundraisers for this cause, and I want to challenge more of them to join our team,” said Manning, who pledged to match the first $100,000 in fundraising from local community groups – which they exceeded in just a few short months.

Five of the most innovative, creative and successful fundraising campaigns created by kids and community groups were honored, resulting in a check for $250,000 from “Eli’s Challenge“ to the Tackle Kids Cancer program, which benefitted from the New York Giants support.

“We value our relationship with Hackensack University Medical Center and are honored to be part of Tackle Kids Cancer. The work that is done by the Children’s Cancer Institute and those who have contributed to Tackle Kids Cancer has served as an inspiration to Eli and all of us,” said Allison Stangeby, vice president of Community and Corporate Relations. “We are proud of Eli’s work in our community and his selfless support of the Children’s Cancer Institute.”

WATCH: Federer Builds 50 New Preschools in Africa, Mobbed by Kids on First Visit

“The Foundation is proud of the partnership we have with the New York Giants and its players,” said Jon M. Fitzgerald, president of Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation. “Eli Manning’s commitment to Tackle Kids Cancer has extended far beyond what we could have imagined. Not only has he volunteered to be the face of our campaign, but he has made numerous visits with the children, families and health care team at our Children’s Cancer Institute. With Eli’s Challenge, he has taken his role as champion of this cause to higher level, and we could not have raised more than $4 million for our Tackle Kids Cancer initiative without his support.”

The Children’s Cancer Institute at Hackensack University Medical Center consists of dedicated clinicians and researchers specializing in pediatric cancer. With more than 100 active oncology and transplant clinical trials currently open, it is leading the charge to cure childhood cancer.

“While extremely rare, pediatric cancer is the number one cause of death by disease in children in the U.S.,” said Stephen Percy interim chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital. “Every dollar received through the Tackle Kids Cancer campaign will support our most important programs and research.”

Score Big With Your Friends: Click To Share (Photo by PRNewsfoto/Hackensack Meridian Health)

Nicki Minaj Pays Off College Debt for Dozens of Students

By
McKinley Corbley
-

Nicki Minaj isn’t just a talented hip hop artist – she’s also a fan of hardworking students.

On Saturday night, Minaj was tweeting about a contest in which the participants who recorded the most creative dancing video to her most recent musical single would be flown out to the studio to hang with the hip hop queen herself.

Jokingly, one of her fans replied with: “Well, you wanna pay my tuition?”

RELATED: Elon Musk Takes Surprisingly Good Ad Advice From 10-Year-old

To everyone’s surprise, the singer responded by tweeting back: “Show me straight A’s that I can verify w/ur school and I’ll pay it. Who wants to join THAT contest?!?!Dead serious. Shld I set it up?”

 

Screenshots of report cards flooded the singer’s inbox. Unfazed, Minaj accepted dozens of requests – from payments of a couple hundred dollars for school supplies, to thousands of dollars in student loan debt.

Anyone who had a high GPA was asked to privately message the singer their bank information.

 

After filing through the messages, Minaj closed out the night by saying she would make the payments the next day, and she would open up her inbox to more lucky students in two months.

“Ok u guys. It’s been fun. Let me make those payments tmrw then see if I have any money left. I’ll do some more in a month or 2.”

 

The next day, TMZ reportedly confirmed that Minaj made good on her offer to dozens of students.

My Anaconda Don’t Want None Unless You Click To Share, Hun (Photo by TheGlobalPanorama, CC)

A Life Coach’s Free Advice on How to Balance Happiness and Work

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Good News Network
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Understanding the importance of a good work-life balance can benefit you in many ways, but one of the most important ways (by far) is how it affects your happiness.

Retaining a strong body and mind can help you deal with almost any obstacle in your path, so when work takes a toll, your body suffers, and in consequence, the rest of your life can suffer as well. Here are a few ways to change up some of those bad habits when your work life threatens to take over.

The Body

Finding the time to prepare healthy meals or take an exercise class can be tough. Here are some things you can do to maintain a healthier lifestyle on the go:

Easy Protein: Getting enough protein is crucial for peak performance. Sources of protein include meats, eggs, dairy, and even vegetables. Hard-boil some eggs or stock up on chicken breasts—foods that take little time to prepare and can last for a few meals!

Drink Lots of Water: The occasional cup of coffee won’t kill you, but not drinking enough water can. Water helps in ways that you might not even think about. It can make you less irritable, because dehydration can adversely alter your mood. It can also help you cut down on unnecessary snacking, because your body sometimes tricks you into thinking you’re hungry, when actually you just need some old-fashioned H2O.

CHECK OUT: How to Heal Mindfully if Your Candidate Loses

Prioritize Your Body: Exercising can relieve stress, boost your ability to handle situations in both work and personal lives, and is a way to combat the day-to-day of stagnant deskwork. If your work allows, take your lunch break to go for a run or a swim. Any amount of time being active is beneficial. If you don’t have time to leave work, try standing and working, or do some bodyweight exercises like squats and pushups. Commit a few minutes here and there to be more fit.

Snacking: Eating in a hurry usually means grabbing smaller portions of food whenever it is convenient. Just because you don’t have time to cook doesn’t mean what you snack on has to be packaged, processed, and unhealthy. Foods like nuts, berries, and carrots or celery are great for those days when you’re moving from one thing to the next. It also helps to have these good eats at your disposal when your coworker brings donuts on Monday morning.

The Mind

When your mind is at ease, your perspective on life tends to follow suit. Here are some ways to unscramble all the thoughts in your head when it’s constantly racing:

RELATED: ‘Friendship Benches’ Alleviate Mental Illness Symptoms For Thousands

Take a Timeout: You need time to stop thinking about work, even if you’re still at work. Calling a friend, walking around your office building, or sitting in a silent break room can help you relax and give your brain a break. Optimize your home to reduce the stress you feel while you’re there. Chances are, you have enough of that at work. If cleaning is too much to keep up with, consider hiring someone to do it for you. Clutter reduction can make a huge difference on your state of mind.

Unleash Your Creative Side: Stimulating your brain in a way that you enjoy can help you release negative thoughts or feelings. It can also help you keep your good humor (as well as your sanity) in times of stress.

Be Social: Sometimes you need to talk to others to feel connected and appreciated – and you shouldn’t always have to talk about work. Plan ahead and carve out time for social activities – especially ones that help you in more ways than one. For example, take a walk in the park with some of your friends, or take your kids to the movies. You can spend time with loved ones while doing something that is beneficial and that you enjoy.

MORE: How Negative Headlines Can Impact Your Mental and Emotional Health

Working hard is one thing, but living hard is another. While you’re on the clock, focus on your tasks, but when it’s time to fold your laptop and file away your work documents, file away your work worries with them to maximize all your time.

If you need more guidance on how to keep your work-life balance, you can check out Groom and Style’s recently-published guide that features dozens of tips from over 50 top wellness experts.

Ms. Morris is a life and career coach who strives to help others achieve balance and happiness in their lives. She believes she can relate to clients who feel run over by life because of her own experiences. Ms. Morris spent years in an unfulfilling career in finance before deciding to help people in other ways.

Cut Your Friends A Break: Click To Share (Photo by Amermb)

Some Corals Have Started Adapting to Warmer Temperatures

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Good News Network
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This new study reveals evidence that some corals are adapting to warming ocean waters — offering great hope following recent reports of coral die-offs due to rising temperatures.

Researchers observed how reefs in two Kenyan marine national parks responded to extreme temperature exposure over time. They found that 11 of the 21 coral species that they studied showed less of the destructive coral bleaching than others.

Looking at two similarly severe warming events in 1998 and 2016, Wildlife Conservation Society zoologist Tim McClanahan found that the number of pale and bleached coral colonies declined from 73% to 27%, and 96% to 60%, in the two parks with different background temperatures. About half of the most common species did not bleach strongly in 2016.

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Bleaching takes place when stressed corals discharge beneficial algae that supply energy to corals causing them to turn pale or white and often starve. Worldwide, a large percentage of coral species experienced some bleaching due to unusually warm ocean water in 2016.

McClanahan said: “Despite the many caveats and interpretation of these results, this study provides one of the first response-rate estimates for many common corals at the population level. It therefore provides a basis for future studies and improving model predictions and the types of evaluations needed to address the future health of coral reefs.”

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Global awareness continues to grow about the immediate threats facing coral reef ecosystems, which is catalyzing a global commitment to address those threats. In February, at the Economist World Ocean Summit in Bali, Indonesia, the ‘50 Reefs‘ initiative was launched by the Global Change Institute of the University of Queensland and the Ocean Agency. The initiative brings together leading ocean, climate and marine scientists to develop a list of the 50 most critical coral reefs to protect, while leading conservation practitioners are working together to establish the best practices to protect these reefs.

(Source: Wildlife Conservation Society)

Click To Spread a Reef of Good News – OR, (Photo by Tim McClanahan/WCS)

Watch Man Rush to Save Drowning Office Cat Knocked into Water

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Good News Network
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What started out as a cat-a-strophic accident turned into a paw-sitively inspiring rescue.

Felix the office cat of the London’s Royal Dock Management Authority got into a tussle with another feline earlier this week, which sent him plummeting into the nearby water.

Scott, the organization’s engineering and operations manager, saw the exchange and leapt into action.

As the frightened cat tread water below the dock, Scott scooted close enough to the animal so he could grab it by the scruff of the neck and pull it to safety.

WATCH: Dog Wearing Life Jacket is Found Adrift in Vast Gulf of Mexico

After the rescue, both Scott and Felix walked away unfazed.

Though the video has since gone viral, RDMA posted an Instagram photo of Felix featuring the caption: “Here’s Felix the RoDMA office cat taking a nap after becoming a viral sensation this weekend! We’re happy to report the fame hasn’t gone to her head and she’s back to her regular scheduled program of cat naps, food breaks, and the occasional stretch.”

(WATCH the video below)

Click To Share The Pawesome Story With Your Friends

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