Happy Headline of the Day Archives

15 years ago, Victoria Johnson purchased a used book in New York City. Inside that book was a vintage family photo.

While Victoria does not remember the book — she held onto that photo all these years.

And just last week, Victoria was curious enough to post the picture to social media and ask people for clues.

It didn’t take long for the photo to spread across the country — and for the mystery to be solved when a family member responded with a message indicating that it was her great uncle Sheldon.

Sure enough. The man in the picture was Sheldon Sudduth, along with his wife and two daughters.

Thanks to Victoria’s curiosity — and the help of people online — the special photo is now back in the family, as Victoria was able to send it to Sheldon’s daughter Valerie … who currently lives in Texas. (WGCL-TV)

Back in 1961, Calvin Tyler of Baltimore, Maryland, enrolled at Morgan State College to study business administration. But unfortunately, in 1963, Calvin had to drop out because couldn’t afford tuition.

Don’t worry. Things turned out pretty well for Calvin — as he and his wife, Tina, just donated $20 million to the university.

After leaving school 60 years ago, he took a job as a UPS driver and worked his way up the corporate ladder. WAY up. Before Calvin retired, he was the senior vice president of U.S. operations and was on the board of directors.

Through the years, he never forgot about his experiences at Morgan State — and was inspired to offer the donation earlier this year.

Calvin and Tina have a goal of offering more full tuition scholarships so young people can graduate from college and enter the next stage of their life debt-free. (WABC-TV)

On Saturday, the Hope College women’s basketball team played a game against Kalamazoo College in Holland, Michigan.

But it wasn’t just a normal day for the team. Instead, it was Senior Day, which was intended to honor the teammates who are in their senior year of school.

Coach Brian Morehouse wanted to do something special for his seniors — so he had them on the floor to start the game … all nine of them.

Of course, basketball is a five-on-five sport. Having nine players on the court is against the rules. That didn’t matter. Brian had all of his seniors out there to make sure they were recognized at tip-off.

The team ended up being penalized with a technical foul for the stunt, which meant they started the game down by a score of 2-0.

It ended up not mattering, as Hope College won the game in the end.

But, odds are, the players won’t remember the victory as much as they’ll remember the cool move made by Coach Morehouse, who explained that their focus “is always team first.” (MLive)

In Austin, Texas, 68-year-old Emily Johnson had a problem. She was scheduled for open heart surgery in Cleveland, Ohio — and needed to get a coronavirus vaccine before traveling. But, her doctors in Austin had no access to the vaccine.

Emily posted a message online, asking people for advice and suggestions.

Instead of just getting advice, Emily ended up getting the actual vaccine, thanks to a stranger who gave up her place in line.

It was 50-year-old Christy Lewis who came to the rescue.

Christy was able to reach Emily that very morning — and direct Emily to the appointment.

It all worked out.

Emily got the vaccine — and was even able to schedule her second dose.

Christy’s generous offer was a simple decision for her, explaining, “You just know when it feels right, and this felt right to me.” (New York Daily News)

During last week’s winter storm in Texas, the Illuminidol candle company — located in the city of Austin — was able to help those in need by giving away candles.

Owner Gavin Inverso picked up 2,000 candles from the warehouse with his van — and then put the word out on social media. Anyone who needed a candle was welcome to one.

Gavin took things even further.

He found people with pipe issues and turned off their water. He drove to get supplies for neighbors and friends. He even opened his doors to neighbors, so they could come inside, stay warm, and use his hot water.

Gavin explained that giving away candles and helping out “just seemed like such a small thing, compared to people not having heat.” And, his mission to help also improved his mood, admitting that he “definitely left every place feeling a lot better.” (KXAN-TV)

SpaceX is a company that has been working toward sending civilians into space — and not just astronauts.

Well, they’re a step closer as they announced a spaceflight that will include only civilians — and one of those “regular people” will be 29-year-old Hayley Arceneaux [ARR-seh-no].

When the spacecraft lifts off, Hayley will be the youngest-ever American to fly into space.

It’s actually unfair to call Hayley “regular” because she’s already something of a hero here on Earth.

She’s currently a physician assistant in Memphis, Tennessee — and also a cancer survivor, as she beat the disease about 20 years ago.

All of her hard work through the years is certainly paying off now, as she’ll be aboard the Inspiration 4 mission, serving as the crew’s medical officer.

Hayley says her battle with cancer prepared her for space travel, explaining that it helped her “expect the unexpected and go along for the ride.” (Engadget)

Back in 1973, Karen Autenrieth lost her wedding ring in a snowbank in Chicago. Amazingly, earlier this month, that ring was returned to her.

Six to eight years ago, Sarah Batka — who lives in the home where the ring was lost — found the ring while she was gardening. She didn’t know what to do with it, so she just kept it in a safe place.

Then, earlier this month, Sarah was inspired to track down the owner, realizing she could use the Internet and social media to solve the puzzle.

Sarah connected with two historians — Carol Flynn and Linda Lamberty — who are experts on the history of Chicago neighborhoods.

Sure enough, Carol and Linda were able to figure out that the ring belonged to Karen — and the ring was returned.

Karen, of course, was shocked, as she never expected to see the ring again. And, she is extra excited about it because she and her husband will be celebrating their 55th anniversary in April. For the first time in nearly 50 years, she’ll be celebrating that anniversary with her wedding band on her finger. (Chicago Tribune)

Back in March of 2020, Ryan Sivley was in a serious car accident and nearly died. Luckily, he recovered from his injuries — and recently used his second chance at life for a good cause — by helping hundreds of stranded drivers during the winter storm that hit Texas.

Ryan owns a four-wheel-drive truck — which he calls “The Beast” — and went out into the elements, helping drivers who were stuck because of the icy roads.

Using recovery straps and chains, Ryan just kept pulling people off the road — and then giving them safe rides to warm places.

Ryan said that as fast as he was clearing cars out, people were pulling in and getting stuck. And so, Ryan kept moving and helping.

He estimates that he rescued about 500 people — and was motivated to do all he could because it seemed like he was their last hope.

Many of those he helped started a campaign to raise money for him as a gesture of thanks. But Ryan explained that he wasn’t looking for payment. He just didn’t want to let people remain stranded, in the cold, on the road, if he could help it. (The Seattle Times)

When the cold weather storms hit Texas last week, delivery driver Chelsea Timmons was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She was attempting to make a delivery to Doug Condon and Nina Richardson in Austin around Valentine’s Day, when her car slid down the driveway of their home, into their flowerbed — and broke down. The car wouldn’t start. Chelsea was stuck.

When Doug and Nina learned that a tow truck wasn’t available because of the terrible weather, they invited Chelsea into their home.

Her bad luck ended up turning into good luck.

Chelsea stayed with Doug and Nina for five days. They weathered the storm by enjoying meals together — and, mostly, just staying warm. Near the end of her stay, Chelsea baked a cake for the couple to show her appreciation for their generosity.

And finally, after five days, things cleared up enough for a repair truck to show up and get Chelsea’s car moving again.

It was an unusual Valentine’s Day for everyone involved, but it was also one that they will never forget. (KMOV-TV)

Residents at 19 nursing homes in West Virginia will receive Valentine’s Day cards and messages — thanks to Girl Scouts in the area.

Different Girl Scout troops got together to coordinate their efforts and the results have been fantastic.

Because of their hard work and organization, more than 3,000 handmade cards have been mailed to the nursing home residents.

Those involved with the project have seen how great it is that people of this older generation now have a connection with a younger generation.

But mostly, it’s about sharing a little love this holiday. (WVNews)

Winters are usually quite chilly in Appleton, Wisconsin, but that hasn’t stopped Chick-fil-A employee Hoku Taniguchi from getting back and forth to work on her bike.

That all changed when her friend and co-worker Haley Bridges gave her a car.

You see, Haley won the car during a holiday party raffle back in December. She already had a car, so instead of keeping it herself, Haley offered it up as a gift.

It didn’t take long for Haley’s gesture of kindness to be repaid, as Haley’s aunt held a fundraiser to get her auto loan completely paid off.

Now, both friends have reliable transportation — and no car payments.

Haley calls her co-workers her “second family” — and was thrilled be able to help make her close friend Hoku’s life easier, especially during these winter months. (People)

January was a good month for Orlene Peterson and her immense luck. She bought a scratch-off lottery ticket at a grocery store in Hayden, Idaho. That was a good choice, because it was a $200,000 winner.

She couldn’t believe it. But, her luck wasn’t done yet.

The next day she went to a different grocery store and bought another scratch-off ticket “for fun.”

Wouldn’t you know it? That ticket was a $300,000 winner.

Idaho lottery officials said the odds of winning on both tickets was about 1-in-282.5-million.

Orlene says she plans to pay off bills with her winnings, buy a new truck — and might take a trip to Las Vegas.

That sounds like a great idea, especially with the run of good luck she seems to be enjoying. (KTVB-TV)

Jalen Hurts plays quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

At the end of last year, he learned about a seven-year-old boy named Erick who was battling cancer — and how Erick’s family, including five children, was living in a two-bedroom trailer.

Jalen wanted to help the family, so he surprised them with a $30,000 check that they can use to purchase a home.

Jalen also played catch outside with Erick — and gave him an autographed jersey.

It was a big day for Jalen as he explained that he just wants to “make an impact in the city of Philadelphia” — and offered up the ultimate compliment, telling the seven-year-old that “he would fit right in at an Eagles practice because his teammates like people who are strong and courageous like Erick.” (WPVI-TV)

A California man had his wallet returned after losing it in Antarctica … 53 years ago.

Paul Grisham was serving in the Navy back in 1967 as a meteorologist — and spent 13 months monitoring the weather in Antarctica.

Somehow, he lost his wallet down there and — after returning home — never thought he’d see it again.

Well, workers in Antarctica demolished an old building and, behind a locker, found Paul’s wallet. It had Paul’s Navy ID, his driver’s license, a tax statement, and records of his poker winnings.

Stephen Decato, who was doing research in Antarctica, worked with his daughter Sarah Lindbergh to track down Paul, who is now 91 years old and living in San Diego, California.

Finally, about a week ago, Stephen and Sarah were able to send Paul his long-lost wallet.

Sarah described the mission and all the detective work they did to find Paul as “feel-good thing to do,” explaining that Stephen “is proud to have things in their rightful places.” (Daily Mail)

The New England Patriots will not be in the Super Bowl this Sunday, but the owner of the team — Robert Kraft — is making sure some local fans are a part of the festivities — by using his private plane to fly them to Tampa Bay, Florida, for the game.

The Patriots received 76 tickets to the game between the Buccaneers and the Chiefs. Kraft decided to hand those rare and special tickets out to healthcare workers in the area to thank them for putting their “lives on the line.”

Not only are the healthcare workers getting tickets, they’re also getting a first class trip down to Florida on the team jet.

Kraft invited the lucky fans over a bunch of video conference calls.

All 76 of the frontline fans have been vaccinated — and the team hopes this will inspire others to get vaccinated as well.

These fans won’t be alone, of course, as 7,500 other vaccinated health care workers will be there as guests invited by the NFL.

It’s just that some of them — probably most of them — will not have arrived on a VIP team plane. (CBS Sports)

In Roeland Park, Kansas, Stephanie Lindquist-Johnson and her six-year-old son Phillip came up with a great idea to help stray cats — and other animals — in the area.

They realized that foam coolers could be turned into little shelters. So, they posted a message on a neighborhood website, asking people in the community to donate those coolers instead of throwing them away.

Dozens of neighbors responded, so Stephanie and Phillip got to work, turning the coolers into shelters.

The timing was perfect, as winter weather has set in. Stephanie and Phillip, with many thanks to the neighbors who are pitching in with their cooler donations, have been able to help outdoor cats, raccoons and possums — along with many other animals — survive the frigid winter weather.

Those coolers are being repurposed — and animals are being helped (The Kansas City Star)

Like many people, Sydney Harmood of Apopka, Florida, has found special ways to spend her time at home during the pandemic.

Sydney grabbed a crochet hook and some yarn and started making knit caps. She was good at crocheting before this all started — and has only gotten better.

In fact, Sydney has gotten so good and so fast at her craft that she’s created dozens of knit hats for the homeless.

Her neighbors learned about what she’s been up to — and donated extra yarn to her cause. It’s all being put to good use.

Sydney says she crochets around four hours each day — and now has a goal of creating 200 hats for the homeless, explaining it’s all worthwhile because “even if you can only help one person — that’s one life you’ve changed.” (Bay News 9)

Henry Darby affects a lot of lives as the principal at North Charleston High School in South Carolina — but he’s also affecting lives away from the school by working a second job to help those in need.

Three times a week, from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m., Henry stocks shelves at a local Walmart store.

And then, he donates the paychecks he’s earning to others who need the money more than he does.

With every shift, Henry is able to touch the lives of others in his community. Often, he gives the money to the families of students at his school.

His special charity efforts have led to even more giving, as people around the country heard his story — and pitched in with an extra $100,000 in donations.

Henry has no plans on quitting his second job anytime soon. He says he’s thankful that Walmart has given him an opportunity to work — and to help others along the way. (WCIV-TV)

When all this coronavirus stuff started last year, 16-year-old Alexa Rhodes of Abington, Pennsylvania, realized that there were more and more young people dealing with homelessness — and she wanted to help.

So, she created her own organization — called H.E.L.P.I.N.G. The Homeless Backpacks — and started raising money to buy sturdy backpacks, filled with stuff the young people could use.

It didn’t take long for her charity effort to be a huge success. Earlier this month, she delivered 75 backpacks, each filled with more than 40 items. It was her second delivery.

Alexa says each donation is meaningful to her — especially because she knows the backpacks are going to people her age.

And since she’s been helping out and doing charity work since she was six years old, it seems there’s no slowing her down.

Herbruck’s poultry farm between Grand Rapids and Lansing makes it a point to donate to those in need each year. Normally, company president Greg Herbruck says they’ve been donating about a million eggs each year.

This year was — of course — unusual. Greg could see that food banks and other charity groups were going to need extra help this year, so he did his best to maximize the giving.

It worked.

The final tally is in and the company was able to donate 1.6 million eggs in 2020.

Like everyone, Greg is hopeful that the need for help decreases as all this blows over. But in the meantime, he said the company is committed to supporting local families and neighbors get nutritious food during these challenging times.

See more on this story from WZZM-TV

When Hanna and Mark Gleiberman of San Diego, California, realized their city didn’t have a fully inclusive and accessible playground, they wanted to do something about it.

So, they donated $1 million to get one built.

The playground that their donation is making possible offers a bunch of opportunities that support the development of the kids and families who will use it.

Not only will it meet the physical, mental, social and sensory needs of kids — but it will also allow adults with disabilities to play with their kids in a fully accessible way.

Hanna — who is a former teacher — says she and Mark were inspired to make the donation in order to boost the self-esteem and self-image of kids, and enhance friendships between non-disabled and disabled people of all ages.

Robert Peters of Tipton, Indiana, has been delivering pizza for 31 years.

Through rain, wind, and snow, Robert has been making people happy with those deliveries in an old 1993 Oldsmobile … until now.

One of his regular customers — Taylor Langley — realized how hard Robert was working and how good he was at his job, so he started a campaign to help out and get Robert a new car.

The campaign was a huge success.

In just two days, the people of Tipton donated enough for a shiny, red Chevy Malibu, including insurance and gas money — a gift worth $19,000.

Upon receiving the car, Robert said he “couldn’t believe it” and described the feeling as “surreal.”

And, Robert’s work isn’t done. Not even close. He’ll keep rolling and delivering pizzas because his purpose in life is to make people happy, knowing that his face might be the only face they see all day. (CBS News)

Last year, the staff at Kenneth Carberry Elementary School in Emmett, Idaho, welcomed seven-year-old Pete Goers as a student. But because of a condition he was born with, Pete deals with special challenges each day, including the need for a wheeled walker to get around.

The walker seemed to work fine inside the school and in the classroom, but Pete was having a hard time getting to the playground — even with the help of his twin brother, Dane.

So, the school staff started a fundraising campaign, that led to $32,000 being raised to build a special path — which they call “Pete’s Path” — in the school yard that allows Pete to get to and from the playground each day.

Thanks to the attention and hard work of those who work with Pete each day, he’s now able to enjoy daily routines that put a smile on his face — and allow him to spend time with his classmates, both inside the classroom and out. (KTVB-TV)