Author: Kelly Brant

The Labrador-retriever mix was enrolled in a program to become a service dog, but couldn’t quite keep his focus enough to pass the class. He was way more interested in exploring the world with his nose. While this kept him from becoming a service dog, it is exactly what caught the eye of the State Farm Arson Dog Program. Sheldon began to learn to use his nose to sniff out accelerants used to light illegal fires, and quickly rose to the top of his class. He was paired with Lieutenant John Tadlock of the Saginaw, Texas fire department, where he became their first accelerant detection canine. In Sheldon’s first ever case, a few cars at a car dealership had been torched, and nobody could figure out how the fires started. Three days later, Sheldon arrived on the scene, and within 30 seconds had found the source. “We dig through some debris and find a Molotov cocktail. It was just under some debris from the vehicle that had burned away, three days earlier. You couldn’t even see it” Tadlock said. Since then, Sheldon has been helping the fire department track down arsonists, and he and Tadlock are looking forward to many more years of hard work. While most sniffer dogs only work for 5-10 years, Sheldon lives with Lieutenant Tadlock while off duty, and will continue to be a beloved pet for many years to come.  

Barb Heim, a first-grade teacher in her 35th year at Conneaut Valley Elementary School in Conneautville, Pennsylvania, truly believes in “no child left behind.” Every day after school, Heim drives 20 minutes to Harrison Conner’s house. Harrison is a second-grader battling leukemia. Heim delivers the day’s lesson to him and keeps his spirits up as he undergoes treatment. She brings the classroom to him, following all necessary precautions, of course. They both wear masks and Heim wears a face shield. Heim greatly enjoys their time together. When interviewed by TODAY, Heim stated, “It was a joy, because I knew he wanted to learn. He said he couldn’t wait. He was so excited. And he’d have his off days if medicine was causing him to not feel up to it. It wasn’t the best day for him, but we made it through. And he always did his best.” Heim has been there from the start. In fact, she was the first one who noticed that something was off with Harrison, as he was often very pale and not as active as normal. She told the school nurse who notified Harrison’s mother. His presence in class has been deeply missed. Heim stated, “Oh, he’s an amazing little guy. He is so much fun in class. You could have 100 of him in a classroom, and you would still take more because he has that sense about him. He wants to learn. He loves to learn new things.” Harrison and his family love Mrs. Heim. Harrison’s mother, Suzanne, stated, “Ever since the minute he was diagnosed...she has been absolutely amazing. She has kept Harrison such a part of the kids’ lives in school and making sure that he feels remembered.” Suzanne even compared Heim to an aunt who always brings goodies and a smile. The goodies and smiles, as well as the treatment, are working well. Harrison is currently in remission. He has another year and a half of treatment and Heim will be by his side through it all. 

Tanitoluwa “Tani” Adewiumi, a 10 year old Nigerian refugee, has just been awarded the title “Chess Master.” While living in a homeless shelter in New York City in 2019, Tani won the New York state chess championship for his age group. In order to achieve master status, he had to defeat two experts, a master and an international master. When Tani was interviewed by NPR, he simply stated, “I was very happy that I won and that I got the title...I really love that I finally got it.” While his family lived in a homeless shelter, Tani learned to play chess in school in New York City. He practices chess for 10 or 11 hours every day after school. Tani’s family left northern Nigeria in 2017 as refugees. His book, My Name is Tani...And I believe in Miracles: The Amazing True Story of One Boy’s Journey from Refugee to Chess Champion,” explains his extraordinary origin story. His family fled Boko Haram and came to the US, where his father became a dishwasher and Uber driver and his mother was a housekeeper. Tani has received much kindness and help along the way. When his family could not afford to pay the membership costs for the school’s chess program, Russell Makofsky, the chess teacher, waived the fees. A stranger gifted him a chess clock. His mother would take him to free practice sessions in Harlem and his dad saved up to get Tani a laptop so he could play chess online. A GoFundMe page for Tani has raised $255,000 for housing, legal, and educational resources. The money also pays for Tani’s grandmaster coach, who teaches him two or three times a week. Further, his GoFundMe page attracts countless comments, people thanking him for being such an inspiration and encouraging him to keep working. Tani’s love for chess is only growing. His next goal is to become the youngest grandmaster. Sergey Karjakin, the current record-holder, achieved this at age 12. With his intelligence, support system, and work ethic, it seems like he will achieve his dream. 

When the coronavirus pandemic sent the world into lockdown, eight-year old Sonny Mason had an idea.  The boy from Kings Heath, Birmingham, decided to handwrite jokes and post them at the end of his driveway for neighbors and passersby to enjoy.  He hoped that the jokes would offer a brief moment of relief from the pandemic related hardships happening across the globe. Each day, for 100 consecutive days, Sonny displayed handwritten jokes in his driveway, alongside an original illustration, for strangers and neighbors to read. Sonny told the BBC, "I just thought because we're in such a hard time now, if I wrote a joke out, it would cheer people up and my mum told me to do it as well - to practise my handwriting." The first joke that Sonny put out read: “Why do seagulls only fly over the sea?  Because if they flew over the bay they would be called bagels.” It is hard not to smile while reading the joke, and Sonny’s comedic coping strategy quickly started receiving positive feedback. Sonny’s initiative to spread smiles during a worldwide lockdown even caught the attention of comedian Sir Lenny Henry.  In a letter to Sonny, the comedian wrote, “I'm sure it really cheered people up and put a smile on their face when they really needed it.” Sonny’s daily jokes also inspired Sir Lenny Henry to launch Share a Smile, a campaign that encourages people to share their favorite jokes with their community and neighbors. The comedian goes on to thank him for putting smiles on people’s faces, and emphasizing the importance of spreading laughter, especially during hard times.

Erase All Kittens (EAK) is an educational technology startup founded by two women with first hand experience working in the male-dominated field of coding. In an effort to bring more women into the field, the female-led team has launched a new “Mario” style game, specifically designed for girls between the ages of 8 and 12. Co-Founders, Dee Saigal and Leonie Van Der Linde, understand the importance of exposing the world of coding, and its possibilities, to girls when they are young. According to TechCrunch, “EAK says its research shows that some 55% of its players are girls, and 95% want to learn more about coding after playing the game.” “Players edit the code that governs the game environment, building and fixing levels as they play in order to save kittens in a fantasy internet universe,” Saigal says. She continues to explain that the game places a huge emphasis on creativity, and the players can see instant results as they make their way through the game by editing the code and exploring various solutions for their characters. Saigal says, “When I was younger I wanted to be a games designer. I loved coming up with ideas for games but coding had always seemed like an impossible task. We weren’t taught coding at school, and I couldn’t see anyone who looked like me making games, so I didn’t think it was something I could do.” In making a game that blends learning and storytelling, Saigal and Van Der Linde hope that coding will be seen by young girls as a problem-solving language with real world possibilities.  Since launching the new game, Erase All Kittens has raised $1 million and plans to continue expanding access to their platform in schools and other learning environments around the world.

Sapir Berman, 26, refereed a soccer match after coming out publicly as a woman, making her Israel’s first openly transgender soccer referee. She blew the whistle to begin the Hapoel Haifa vs. Beitar Jerusalem match. "This is the first step in a long and wonderful journey. Sapir, we are proud to do it with you," the Israel Football Association tweeted as she took the field. One fan held up a sign that read “Sapir Berman, super woman.” Berman has worked as a soccer referee for several years in Israel’s Premier League and said she has received the support of family, fans, officials, and players. Berman said that being involved in such a male-dominated profession made her hesitate when considering going public. Then, about six months ago, “I decided to come out and to show who I am, first of all to myself, for my soul,” she said with a smile on her face. A British soccer referee, Lucy Clark, came out as transgender in 2018. She said, “overwhlemingly, it’s been a positive experience.” Israel is considered one of the world’s most progressive countries when it comes to LGBTQ rights, despite it being portrayed as a society with religious oppression. For Berman, the soccer community has been very supportive. Many players are already addressing her as a woman. “It shows me there’s a change in society,” she said.

Kyra Peralte, a mother of two from Montclair, New Jersey, began keeping a diary last year to help cope with the effects of the pandemic. She then dropped her journal in the mail and sent it to a stranger. Peralte wrote about the struggles of balancing work, marriage and motherhood while also dealing with a global pandemic. She found writing to be helpful and wanted to know how other women were doing during such a trying time. “I wanted an interaction that felt human, and it feels very human to read someone else’s writing,” said Peralte. She created a global community through “The Traveling Diary.” After one year, seven notebooks had circled the globe, from Canada to South Africa and beyond. Peralte found her first pen pal through a Zoom conference for entrepreneurs. She piqued the interest of a woman from North Carolina when she mentioned the diary. From there, women around the world began signing up to share their stories. “Everyone approaches the blank pages in their own personal way,” Peralte said. One contributor said that it was fascinating to know that others were in the same moment in time but living such different experiences. Another woman from Australia wrote, “Working with the setbacks. Not against them. Patience and gratitude. It’s a dance. Life is moving and we can stomp our feet in rejection, or we can gracefully embrace the mess, tidying as we go.” The group of women met for the first time recently, virtually. “It has really evolved into a community,” said Peralte, who often hosts Zoom meetings so the women can get to know each other more. Some women have even become close friends. Peralte hopes her idea affects all the people involved as much as it has her.

There is no denying that 2020 was a catastrophic year where many faced suffering, loss, and sacrifice. Upon reflection however, there are quite a few Americans that say they have found a silver lining. In fact, according to a poll of 2,005 Americans conducted by OnePoll in conjunction with Eyes of Hope, 7 out of 10 participants revealed that the events of 2020 made them a better person. The poll was created to explore how people are dealing with the impacts and aftermath of the pandemic. The results of the poll are heartwarming. 74% said 2020 made them more aware of the needs of others. Further, 87% of those polled have donated a portion of their paycheck to those in need since March 2020 – even though 3 in 5 have also experienced financial difficulties at some point during this turbulent year. 41% said that 2020 sparked a renewal of neighborly love, with 38% saying they have helped take out their neighbors’ trash and 31% saying they have walked their neighbor’s dog. Unsurprisingly, 72% of these individuals also revealed that, in a year that focused on health and well-being, they are more aware and caring about others in this respect as well. “It’s been incredibly meaningful to see how the challenges of the last year have caused us to care even more for each other,” said Pat McNeil, a spokesperson for VSP Eyes of Hope. “This study validates what we’ve been hearing from our employees and charitable partners: people are looking to better the lives of others and their communities because they envision a greater purpose after such a devastating year." Though 2020 came with its fair share of trials and tribulations, people are also choosing to see the good - the ways they have changed for the better, hopefully leading us into a new era of widespread consideration and compassion.

Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Government, a new project to demine 7 million square meters of land is now underway. Included in the land being cleared is the world’s largest contiguous wildlife area. The landmines were laid 4 decades ago during the Zimbabwe Liberation War by the Rhodesian Army and their removal will help to protect some of the world’s most endangered species, including elephants, pangolins, and lions that all live within the wildlife corridor that spans South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. The Dutch Organization APOPO (Anti-Personnel Landmines Detection Production Development) has begun working with Zimbabwean Government to clear the densely packed minefield which includes the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. It is projected that the efforts to clear this land will support the re-opening of eco-tourism opportunities in Zimbabwe. The U.S. Government’s grant allows APOPO to protect the animals in the Sengwe Wildlife Corridor as well as the surrounding human populations and their livestock. APOPO hopes to declare Zimbabwe landmine free by 2025. APOPO is known around the world for training African giant pouched rats to detect landlines over the last 20 years. In Zimbabwe however they are utilizing manual deminers to tackle this densely packed minefield. The Dutch organization has already cleared over 45,000 square meters and estimates it will destroy close to 15,300 landmines. Thousands of people live in incredibly close proximity to these landmines and have limited access to water, grazing areas for livestock, and roads for travel and trade. The clearing of this broad area will not only bring about habitable land for Zimbabwe’s poorest communities, but also help to protect some of the world’s most beloved species and provide Zimbabwe with ample economic opportunity.

In 2020, many New England Patriots fans were bitter when Rob Gronkowski, their beloved star tight end, spurned retirement to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Some fans expressed resentment as “Gronk” joined forces with former Patriots legend Tom Brady in Tampa Bay. So, one must wonder if Gronkowski is trying to recapture the hearts of New England youth with his most recent philanthropic endeavor: a $1.2 million renovation of a Boston playground. The football-spiking icon teamed up with his organization, the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, to upgrade the Charlesbank Playground on the Charles River Esplanade. Gronkowski will work with the Esplanade Association—the nonprofit dedicated to maintaining the area—to bring in new climbing structures and other equipment to the playground. The partnership between Gronkowski and the playground will exceed the renovation itself. The future Hall of Famer’s foundation has agreed to pay for all maintenance costs in the first 10 years after the project is completed. Per the Gronk Nation website, the Youth Foundation is “dedicated to inspiring youth to reach their maximum potential through sports, education, community and fitness.” The upgrades to the playground will be made in accordance with these core values.  According to CBS News, Gronkowski emphasized in a news conference that “the concept of this playground will be to motivate kids to be outdoors, get fit and have fun. I hope this playground inspires the next generation of athletes.” Gronkowksi’s generosity carries historical weight. Michael Nichols, the executive director of the Esplanade Association, confirmed that the donation stands as one of the largest ever made to a Massachusetts state park. Yes, Gronkowski may be spiking footballs elsewhere. But Massachusetts politicians are using the playground donation as an opportunity cement his place in New England sports lore. State representative Jay Livingstone and state senator Sal DiDomenico submitted legislation advocating for a new moniker for the playground: “Gronk Playground.” "No matter where I go, or where I live, I will always have a special connection to New England and the people who live here," Gronkowski told reporters.