29 years ago a woman made a stained glass angel for a friend battling cancer. Now, her home has become a stained glass factory, with 90 volunteers producing tens of thousands of hand made angels for patients around the globe.
More amazing, one million dollars in proceeds from these angels has gone to Johns Hopkins cancer research, buying intricate equipment and funding studies.
WATCH the Making a Difference video from NBC News…
29 years ago a woman made a stained glass angel for a friend battling cancer. Now, her home has become a stained glass factory, with 90 volunteers producing tens of thousands of hand made angels for patients around the globe.
More amazing, one million dollars in proceeds from these angels has gone to Johns Hopkins cancer research, buying intricate equipment and funding studies.
On Tuesday, a group of American soldier amputees got some special encouragement from people who know what it’s like to overcome adversity.
The Haitian Amputee Soccer Team visited Washington, D.C. to hold a clinic for the soldiers at the local football stadium. The athletes primarily lost their limbs in the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti last year.
Harold Hackett has spent two decades throwing bottles containing messages into the Atlantic in the hope that he may be able to contact people from far off shores.
In that time the 58-year-old has sent out around 4,800 bottles from near his home on Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Every message asks the finder to send a response back and since 1996 he has received over 3,100 responses from people all over the world.
(READ more at the Daily Mail)
After decades of disappointment, researchers think they’re finally on track to unleash the first practical vaccine against malaria, one of mankind’s ancient scourges.
In the world’s first large field trial of an experimental malaria vaccine, several thousand young children who got three doses had about 55 percent less risk of getting the disease over a year than those who got a control vaccine against rabies or meningitis.
(READ the full story at NPR)
In a win for consumers long overdue, cellphone companies are pledging to warn subscribers before they go over their monthly limits for calling minutes, text messages and data use.
The pledge comes in response to a threat of new regulation by the Federal Communications Commission, which wants to curb nasty surprises in the monthly bills of wireless subscribers.
The Wireless Association, which represents the major cellphone companies, said they’re also promising to warn subscribers that they’re paying roaming fees if they travel abroad.
In South Africa, a graffiti artist, using the street as his canvas, inspires the community with every brushstroke.
In a blighted neighborhood where artists are now populating, most shopkeepers and landlords welcome colorful murals on their buildings.
This artist makes sure that every mural makes people smile and feel inspired.
Emmanuel Kelly, a victim and survivor of chemical warfare in Iraq, doesn’t know how old he is. But, thanks to his hero, an Australian woman who adopted him and his brother, he managed to overcome disability and tragedy to become a wonderful singer. This video features his heart-wrenching debut on The X Factor, when he sang John Lennon’s Imagine.
October 2011 – UPDATE: Emmanuel didn’t make it to the final round of the competition, but his story will be forever embedded in the hearts of three million YouTube viewers, along with the millions who wept during his performance on the talent show.
Guess what’s been happening in the financial industry over the last few months? The banks have quietly turned on the lending spigot.
After several quarters of having their loan balances plunge or flatten out, several of the nation’s biggest banks are reporting increases.
Wells Fargo executives said new loan commitments to small businesses were up 8 percent, while loans issued from bigger companies in Scandinavia like Sambla, which dominates Finland, Norway, Sweden, and most recently Denmark has been growing for 14 months in a row.
A famous French painting stolen during World War I by the German Army was returned to the government of France by U.S. officials on Thursday. The 1876 Jules Breton work is translated as “A Fisherman’s Daughter/Mender of Nets.”
“One of the very few ways that we are able to redress the awful legacy of war is to return stolen art to its rightful owners so it can be shared and enjoyed,” said a U.S. Attorney for New York who worked on the case.
It’s not just an “old adage” that tells us laughter is the best medicine these days. Scientists, doctors, mental health professionals, and patients themselves call humor a remedy for any ailment — at least temporarily.
Several studies show that humor builds hope, and hope is particularly crucial to people with cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
An acclaimed author and journalist, Lori Hope, utilized a very personal challenge — her own cancer diagnosis — to create a practical guide for people who want to comfort and support a friend with cancer, but don’t know what to say. After extensive interviews, she wrote a book, 20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know.
Even in this weak economy, many of the world’s largest companies are tackling green projects — emissions, energy efficiency and recycling — with increasing tenacity.
Corporate sustainability, it seems, is here for the long haul. It makes sense not just for the sake of the planet, but for business: The more energy and resources saved or reused, the more profit for the company.
Newsweek has partnered for the second year to come up with a Green Rankings list that measures companies on their environmental records.
U.S. computer technology companies lead the way with seven of the top 15 Green Giant slots. Worldwide, not only technology companies top the field, but insurance companies, financial firms, and even banks measure up as global green leaders.
Even in this weak economy, many of the world’s largest companies are tackling green projects — emissions, energy efficiency and recycling — with increasing tenacity.
Corporate sustainability, it seems, is here for the long haul. It makes sense not just for the sake of the planet, but for business: The more energy and resources saved or reused, the more profit for the company.
Newsweek has partnered for the second year to come up with a Green Rankings list that measures companies on their environmental records.
U.S. computer technology companies lead the way with seven of the top 15 Green Giant slots. Worldwide, not only technology companies top the field, but insurance companies, financial firms, and even banks measure up as global green leaders.
Hundreds of swimmers took part Sunday in Hong Kong’s iconic harbour race, which had been suspended for 33 years until water pollution could be cleaned up.
Hong Kong has been engaged in a major effort to restore the harbour, which is one of the world’s most beautiful ports.
Swimmers were pleased with the water quality.
Would you bike to work or recycle more often if it meant you got free stuff at stores? Recyclebank offers rewards for recycling, and gives London commuters fresh incentives to walk or ride.
Recyclebank has reached millions of people with its environmental social platform, awarding points that can be exchanged for deals and discounts at nearby stores.
After surviving a storm of slings and arrows over the course of her life, Amanda Boxtel could never have imagined that a paralyzing skiing accident would change her life… for the better.
As a motivational speaker and author, Amanda is now helping others overcome similar challenges, having founded her own successful non-profit, Challenge Aspen. She even returned to the slopes, becoming a ski instructor using special adaptive equipment.
Best of all, thanks to new technology, Amanda is walking again, with the use of eLEGS, a wearable, battery-powered exoskeleton walking device.
“To take my first step in the eLEGS was just astounding because I bent my knee for the first time in 18 years…it was so natural,” said Boxtell, the new spokesperson for eLEGS. “I’m not meant to be in my wheelchair, sitting down and rolling, I want to be tall in my body.”
After surviving a storm of slings and arrows over the course of her life, Amanda Boxtel could never have imagined that a paralyzing skiing accident would change her life… for the better.
As a motivational speaker and author, Amanda is now helping others overcome similar challenges, having founded her own successful non-profit, Challenge Aspen. She even returned to the slopes, becoming a ski instructor using special adaptive equipment.
Best of all, thanks to new technology, Amanda is walking again, with the use of eLEGS, a wearable, battery-powered exoskeleton walking device.
“To take my first step in the eLEGS was just astounding because I bent my knee for the first time in 18 years…it was so natural,” said Boxtell, the new spokesperson for eLEGS. “I’m not meant to be in my wheelchair, sitting down and rolling, I want to be tall in my body.”
Thousands attended the formal dedication Sunday of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall – an emotional day for those, including President Obama, who came to honor the slain civil rights leader.
There were tears on the faces of some in the crowd.
“For this day, we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s return to the National Mall,” President Obama said. “In this place, he will stand for all time, among monuments to those who fathered this nation and those who defended it; a black preacher with no official rank or title who somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideals, a man who stirred our conscience and thereby helped make our union more perfect.”
Congressman John Lewis attended the dedication. As the last surviving speaker who appeared on stage with King during his “I Have A Dream” speech on the National Mall in 1963, Lewis welcomed him home:
“King’s aspirations for this nation were “deeply rooted in the American dream.” And it is because of his unwavering commitment to the cause of justice, the principles of peace and non-violent activism, because of his insistence on the equal dignity of all humanity that he has found his place on the National Mall. Martin Luther King Jr. represents the very best in America. It was his moral voice that helped this nation turn the corner and lay down the burden of a grave injustice.”
“Thus it is fitting and so appropriate that we honor Martin Luther King Jr. in what I like to call “the frontyard of America”. He must be looked upon as one of the founders of the New America. He must be looked upon as one of the founders of a nation more prepared to meet its highest destiny. And that is why the image of this humble Baptist minister from Atlanta, Georgia, a man who was never elected to any public office, can be seen today standing on the National Mall between the monuments to two great presidents—Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.”
(LISTEN to — or READ — an article from NPR)
Last weekend, folks in Nova Scotia hauled their giant pumpkins from the pumpkin patch into the water, carving them into boats for the annual Pumpkin Regatta competition.
The tiny town of Windsor proclaims itself the World Pumpkin Capital. Each year 50 to 60 pumpkin boats — designed, carved, and decorated by each contestant — race across the 500-meter Lake Pisiquid to the delight of onlookers lining the shore.
(WATCH a video below, or Read more from CBC News) – Photo by Wendy Schotsmans, CC
Click to SHARE the Autumnal Fun…
Last weekend, folks in Nova Scotia hauled their giant pumpkins from the pumpkin patch into the water, carving them into boats for the annual Pumpkin Regatta competition.
The tiny town of Windsor proclaims itself the World Pumpkin Capital. Each year 50 to 60 pumpkin boats — designed, carved, and decorated by each contestant — race across the 500-meter Lake Pisiquid to the delight of onlookers lining the shore.
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