Melissa Daly loses over 200lbs to become ironwoman

A few years ago Melissa Daly weighed 380 pounds.   Today, after becoming one of the clinical trial patients for gastric bypass surgery, Melissa has shed over 200 pounds and competes in Ironman endurance races.  She runs now for Team in Training to help raise funds for Leukemia research.  Melissa is driven to help find a cure for Leukemia in honor of Christian Stafford, her godson, who died from the disease.

Hope’s Wish becomes a movie

The most any of us can wish for is to leave this world a better place for our having been in it. Soon the world will know how 12-year-old Hope Stout left this world a better place when she died of cancer in 2003. Her inspirational story is the subject of a feature-length film to be shot in the Charlotte region during December and January.

Before she dies Hope Stout stated her ‘wish’ to the Make a Wish foundation was

for the 155 other children on the waiting list for the foundation would receive their

wish.  Hope’s story and efforts raised over $1.1M to grant those wishes before she

passed.

The cameras will start rolling at Bank of America Stadium during the Panther’s home game Dec. 8. Hundreds of local crew members will be hired, including some who will film Charlotte streetscapes for the movie’s holiday segments. Filming will be on hiatus over the holidays and resume in mid-January when the more dramatic segments will be shot. Pre-production, which has begun, editing and finishing all will be done in Charlotte. Joanne Hock, co-founder of Charlotte-based Emulsion Arts, has written the original script. The cast, including some well-known stars, will be announced in a few weeks.

When Rick Eldridge, president and CEO of The Film Foundry, a Charlotte-based film production company, and head of Independent Producers Alliance (IPA), moved back to Charlotte 13 years ago, he was determined to help build the regional industry and support local film community any way he could.

“Although I can’t shoot every film here, I try to as much as possible,” Eldridge said. His current release “Running the Sahara,” which he co-produced with Matt Damon, was filmed in Africa. “However, this is very much a Charlotte story. The people of Charlotte who rallied around Hope and her wish are the same people who have rallied around the film. And the movie will let the world know how thousands of people were touched by Hope’s wish that Charlotte’s Make-A-Wish Foundation grant the wishes of all 155 of the other terminally ill children on its list.”

Beth Petty, director of the Charlotte Regional Film Commission, said that Charlotte has all the locations and talent needed for this project. Petty leveraged those assets to recruit movies, such as “The Patriot,” “Talladega Nights” and “Leatherheads,” among others.

“We are very appreciative of Rick Eldridge, Bert Hesse, Joanne Hock and all the other film industry professionals who have chosen to call Charlotte home,” Petty said.

Executive producer Bert Hesse of Charlotte-based film production company Synthetic Fur, has been working closely with Hope’s parents, Stuart and Shelby Stout, for the past three years to bring Hope’s story to the big screen. He and Eldridge are committed to using the film as a vehicle to expand Hope’s dream of fulfilling other children’s wishes through the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the family’s non-profit, the March Forth with Hope Foundation.

The producers also are working closely with Carolinas Medical Center to shoot on the floor on which Hope died. Since that floor is being renovated, filming would not disrupt patient care. The Charlotte production companies are partnering with Dean River, a production company based in Los Angeles with which Eldridge worked on “The Ultimate Gift,” to produce the film.

20th Century Fox is handling the theatrical and DVD releases. PorchLight Entertainment will be the international distributor. The producers say they plan to release Hope’s Wish in time for the 2009 holidays.

Entrepeneur and Homeless man change each others lives

Pete Kadens was on his way to yet another meeting one Chicago morning when he noticed Troy McCoullough sitting on a Chicago sidewalk.  Something brought these two men together to share their stories.  Now, they’re both learning the  power anyone of us has to change one man’s life.  If you ever dreamed of making a difference, this is the story for you.

The Don’t Quit Poem

Found letter sparks family to donate blood

On Dec. 21, 1944, close to the end of the Second World War, an 88-millimetre shell exploded 20 feet away from Daniel J. MacDonald, severing two arteries in his left leg.  MacDonald lost his leg and his left arm but the blood transfusion he received on the battlefield saved his life.

Last November, his son, Daniel Jr., found a letter written by his father, thanking the Canadian Red Cross for the blood.

On Wednesday, Daniel Jr. and his son, Nigel, currently a member of the Prince Edward Island Regiment training at CFB Gagetown, each donated blood at Canadian Blood Services in Charlottetown.  It was Nigel’s first time donating blood, inspired by his grandfather’s letter.

“Anything I can do to help I’m obviously willing to do,” Nigel, 22, said before giving blood. “If it’s going to help save a life on the battlefield . . . I know my friends have (served in Afghanistan).  “As soon as dad found the letter he called me and had blood services set this up. I thought it was a great idea.”

Daniel MacDonald Jr. said he was in the process of helping move his mother, Pauline, when they found the letter. It was written in May 1946 to the Canadian Red Cross. Col. Al Rogers, who established CFCY Radio, drove up to Bothwell to pick MacDonald up and drive him back to Charlottetown so MacDonald could read the letter on the air.

MacDonald Jr. said he heard the story before but never gave it much thought.  “My father would never talk about the war. He’d say ‘you can find better things to do with your time’.”

Pauline MacDonald suggested her son do something with the letter besides store it in a shoebox where it could get lost.  With Remembrance Day next week, the timing of the donation, and the story behind it isn’t lost on either Daniel Jr. or Nigel.

During November, Canadian Blood Services, the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Legion are asking Islanders to donate blood as a way of honouring the contribution of Canadian Forces personnel in Canada and around the world.

“We never know what’s around the next corner, none of us, (or) when we’re going to need blood to save our lives,” MacDonald Jr. said. “It’s a good message to get out there, to encourage all Islanders, all Canadians, all other troops to get involved in blood donating.”

MacDonald’s letter is now on display in the Prince Edward Island Regiment museum at  Queen Charlotte Armouries.  Daniel Jr. felt since his father was an honorary colonel of PEIR from 1977 to his death in 1980 that it was the most appropriate place for it.

Read full story and the family history - An Inspirational Act

Young fighter battles cancer to the end with Bernard Hopkins

You won’t find Shaun Negler’s name in the FightFax database, the official record-keeping service of professional boxing.

There are no tapes of any of his memorable wins or stories of epic triumphs left behind. That’s because they don’t exist. He was robbed of a career in the sport he loved.

But none other than Bernard Hopkins, one of the greatest fighters of this or any generation, will tell you that he hasn’t met a tougher, or more courageous, fighter than Shaun Negler.

The improbable friendship between the long-time middleweight champion and the 18-year-old who worshipped him officially ended at 12:15 p.m. EDT on Oct. 23, 2008, when Negler could fight no more and succumbed to a 2½ year battle with cancer.

But Hopkins, who first met Negler in 2006 when he learned that the then-16-year-old had a deadly form of cancer, isn’t ready to accept that his friend is gone.

“This kid’s soul is still with us,” said Hopkins, who served as a pall bearer at Negler’s funeral in Philadelphia on Oct. 29. “His spirit lives inside of me and inside a lot of the people I met over these last couple of years.”

Hopkins said that for as much as he may have given to Shaun and the Neglers, he received much more in return.

“This was a kid who had every reason to feel sorry for himself, who had every reason to give up, and he never once would give in and he never once looked at the dark side of anything,” Hopkins said. “He looked at death and said, ‘I want to live. And I’m going to make the most of what I have.’ And that’s what we have to do while we’re here on this Earth. Take what you have and do the best you can with it. Look at what this kid was dealt and look what he did with it.

Read the entire article on Yahoo Sports - Hopkins and an even tougher fighter

Yahoo Sports

Inspirational Mom Marathon

The down-turned economy has left many small business owners wondering what the future holds for them. The fear of losing their business has encouraged several mom entrepreneurs to look for opportunity while others cut spending and layoff employees.

Thirty inspirational women will be highlighted over a period of 30 days on The Mom Entrepreneur blog, which offers tips, advice and resources for balancing motherhood with running a company. These mom entrepreneurs’ stories demonstrate how these amazing women have decided to make “lemonade from lemons” using a little creative ingenuity.

“I have received dozens of emails from mom entrepreneurs all over the country telling me their “glass is half-full” stories,” said Traci Bisson, owner and founder of The Mom Entrepreneur. “From Misty Gibbs, owner of My Inspiration Lounge whose vision is to “help women feel empowered, especially during this time, so they can take control of their lives and become better prepared for future downturns,” to Sarah Laufer, owner of Play Outdoors whose business launched in 2008. Laufer has decided to focus on “being who we are and continuing with our goal of creating a place where parents and kids are encouraged to get outdoors”.

These women and 28 more will be featured in a 30-day inspirational story marathon starting November 15 and concluding on December 14.

Mike Michalowicz, author of “The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur” (Obsidian Launch, LLC, 2008), in a guest post for The Mom Entrepreneur blog said “so here we sit, as entrepreneurs, on an economy that sucks. It will either revive over the next year or two or even perhaps die. But one thing for sure, it will get worse before it gets better. And it is now, right in this moment, that it is the best time to start a business.”

The 30 stories in 30 days marathon will highlight mom entrepreneurs who also feel that now is the best time to start or grow a business because even in a sour economy lies optimism, promise and positive change.

To learn more about The Mom Entrepreneur and to follow the 30-day inspirational story marathon, visit http://www.themomentrepreneur.com/.

International Children’s Painting Competition Announced

To help raise environmental awareness and foster science literacy among elementary and middle-school students, Bayer Corporation and the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for North America (UNEP RONA) have kicked off the second year of their partnership in the United States to bring the International Children’s Painting Competition (ICPC) to schoolchildren nationwide.

With this year’s theme, Climate Change – Our Challenge, UNEP and Bayer Corporation are inviting students ages six-to-14 to learn more about climate change and express that knowledge creatively through art.

The students’ paintings are expected to focus on the impact of global warming on our planet, as well as concrete actions people can take, such as using renewable energy and eco-friendly light bulbs, planting trees, sharing vehicles and using public transportation, among others.

Bayer Corporation’s ICPC partnership with UNEP RONA is part of the company’s national award-winning Making Science Make Sense(R) initiative that advances science literacy across the United States through inquiry-based, hands-on science learning, employee volunteerism and public education.

“Environmental education projects are an important part of Bayer’s commitment to sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and science education/science literacy,” said Greg Babe, President and CEO, Bayer Corporation. “With the International Children’s Painting Competition, we’re able to link these issues together for students who will soon inherit the mantle of the nation’s environmental stewards.”

Amy Fraenkel, Director of UNEP RONA, added, “Climate change is a priority issue for UNEP, and we are delighted that, through the ICPC, Bayer Corporation and UNEP are helping educate young people on how climate change is impacting our neighborhoods, our communities, our countries and the world. By participating in this competition, they are also learning about measures they themselves can take to help reverse the problem.”

The free-style artwork for the ICPC must be submitted on either letter- or legal-size paper and can be done using crayons, colored pencils, watercolors, oils, etc. The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2009. For complete entry rules and conditions, please visit www.BayerUS.com/MSMS.

The ICPC regional winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. First-place regional winners are selected from each UNEP region: Africa; Asia and the Pacific; Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; North America; and West Asia.

This year, the ICPC North American first-prize winner will receive two fully-paid trips. The first trip will be to a World Environment Day celebration in North America on June 5; the second trip or the grand-prize trip will be to the 2009 Tunza International Children’s Conference to be held during the summer. Tunza, which is held every two years, is a global youth forum of UNEP that brings together youth from all over the world to share experiences on the environment.

CSR Wire

Frances Leach - helping patients at Children’s hospital

Frances Leach works full-time, but she still manages to find time to collect arts and crafts supplies for patients at Children’s Hospital in Aurora.

For six years, Leach has gotten co-workers and local companies to donate supplies and money.  This year, she filled 102 boxes, her biggest haul yet.  The supplies fill “art carts” throughout the Children’s Hospital Network, from Broomfield to Parker.  They allow children to make art and crafts during their hospital stay.

“Without her ability to coordinate all these donations of art supplies, I honestly don’t know what we would have done without that,” said Mary Navin from Children’s Hospital.

See Video: Frances Leach - Everyday hero

Poll Suggests Cell Phones Strengthen Family Ties

Parents and children might rush through their days in different directions, but the American family is as tight-knit as in the last generation — or more so — because of the widespread use of cellphones and the Internet, according to a new poll.

In what was described as the first detailed survey of its kind researchers reported that family life has not been weakened, as many had feared, by new technology.  Rather, families have compensated for the stress and hurry of modern life with cellphone calls, e-mail and text messages and other new forms of communication.

“There had been some fears that the Internet had been taking people away from each other,” said Barry Wellman, a sociology professor at the University of Toronto and one of the authors of the report, published by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. “We found just the opposite.”

In the poll, 60 percent of adults said that the new technologies did not affect the closeness of their family, while 25 percent said cellphones and online communication made their families closer and 11 percent said that the technology had a negative effect.

Wellman said families appreciated the innovations because “they know what each other is doing during the day.” This, he said, comports with his other research, which shows that technology “doesn’t cut back on their physical presence with each other. It has not cut down on their face time.”

The findings were based on a nationally representative poll of 2,252 people, which explored technology use and profiled a group of 482 adults who were married or living together with minor children. These “traditional nuclear families” have been of particular scholarly interest, the report’s authors said. They tried to examine trends in single-parent families, too, but the poll numbers were too small to be valid, they said.

Cellphones and Internet use were widespread in two-parent households, regardless of education, income, employment, race and ethnicity, with 94 percent saying at least one adult used the Internet and 84 percent saying children were using the Internet.

This marks a large change in short order. Only since the start of the decade has a majority of Americans been Internet and cellphone users, researchers said.

Where technology has changed family life, those polled said it was for the good.

Forty-seven percent of adults said cellphones and the Internet had improved the quality of family communication.

Another 47 percent said there was no effect, and 2 percent said there had been a decrease in quality.

Read the full story at The Washington Post

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