Military Send Off

When a soldier returns from war, many times we see the emotional reunion with family members on the news. We also see the soldiers honored with parades and speeches. It's always touching to watch communities come together to welcome home their heroes.

On the flip side, we rarely see or hear about communities throwing big sendoffs for members of the military heading to war. That's why I thought this story on ABC 7 was so moving.

The Frankfort Fire Department planned a surprise sendoff for one of its own who is heading to Afghanistan. Here's what Air Force Staff Sgt. Nick Ward said to community members:

"In those tough times when I'm missing home, missing all of you this is what's gonna bring me back to it. Without a doubt, all these faces, all your prayers that we do feel, all your thoughts, it's not just a box in the mail or envelop."

How neat for him to be able to see all that love and support before heading overseas! Take a look at the ABC 7 story below:

Excellent Sale, Excellent Cause

With her apron tied around her neck and friends by her side, a 16-year-old Geneva teen took over her church kitchen yesterday to bake 50 pans of brownies!

Ellen Wildman bakes the sweet treats every year for a yard sale she started when she was just 9-years-old. The brownies are always a big hit at the sale, so she wanted to make sure there were enough for the growing number of customers.

Ellen (wearing the orange shirt) with her friends cooking brownies for the sale

The proceeds from the brownies and all the items sold at "Ellen's Excellent Sale" will go directly to the Lazarus House shelter in St. Charles.

Ellen started raising money for Lazarus House after volunteering there with her family seven years ago. They were working on a painting project and were separated from the homeless people in the shelter down the hall. However, when a tornado siren went off, everyone in the building went down to the basement together. That's when Ellen saw homeless people in a new light.

"I never expected homeless people to be my age," Ellen said. "When I went down there, there were people my age and families just like mine. I was shocked they were just like me. They just got put in bad situations. That inspired me to do something."

Amy Wildman, Ellen's Mom, said the experience really affected Ellen. "She didn’t stop talking about it. She'd say, 'Mom, we have to do something to help those people.'”

That's when the 9-year-old came up with the idea of a yard sale. It started small, but it's now much bigger than she ever expected. In fact, police now have to block off the street in front of the Wildman's home during the sale. Every year, friends and strangers donate items for the sale and volunteer to help.

"Ellen's Excellent Sale" in 2009

"I'm amazed," Ellen said. "So amazed by so many people's generosity. And amazed at how the community wants to get involved and help."

Over the years, "Ellen's Excellent Sale" has raised more than $30,000 for Lazarus House. Countless homeless people are being served thanks to a little girl with a big heart. Ellen took action at a young age and she has continued to help people in need by making her sale bigger and better. Her efforts prove that it only takes one person to bring a community together and make a difference!

Ellen with two girls she babysits that love to help with the sale every year

ELLEN'S EXCELLENT SALE
Friday, July 30, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturday, July 31, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

1110 Union St
Geneva, IL


Photos courtesy of Ellen and Amy Wildman

Support for Chicago Hero

Tonight, The Smashing Pumpkins are in town to help raise money for a fellow Chicago musician.

The band is playing in a benefit concert hosted by Q101 at Chicago's Metro. All proceeds will go toward a fund for Matthew Leone, the bassist for the Chicago-based band Madina Lake.

Last month, Leone was brutally attacked in Chicago after coming to the aid of a woman being beat by her husband. After calling the police, he was left unconscious in the street. He has already had multiple brain surgeries and part of his skull has been removed. Leone is now at home recovering, however he doesn't have insurance to help pay for the enormous medical bills.

That's why other musicians, like The Smashing Pumpkins, are stepping up to help. This hero stuck his neck out to help someone in need, and now they're hoping others help him. Friends have created a fund called Through The Pain to help pay for Leone's recovery.

Here's what Matthew's twin brother (and bandmate) wrote on his blog about the outpouring of support:

"Sometimes it’s easy to get down on the world, people, life, life-situation, yourself, whatever.. especially when something like this happens. But the overwhelming reaction we’ve gotten from the community that has rallied around Matthew has proven how lucky we are to have all of you in our lives. Aside from the calls, texts, emails, gifts and well wishes, we’ve heard of groups/organizations being created to bring awareness to domestic violence, violence against women and violence in general.. there are benefits being put together, auctions, special events, donation inquiries, etc. it’s truly extraordinary,.. thank you"

There are several more benefit concerts coming up next month. Here's a video from the Through The Pain website with all the details:

Through The Pain has already raised more than $30,000 for Leone. That number will continue to climb in the coming weeks. If you'd like to help this Chicago hero, you can donate by clicking here or below:

Disability Championships

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the National Junior Disability Championships in Lake Forest. In the coming weeks, I'll share a new video highlighting one of the athletes who is making big waves in the swimming world. The 15-year-old uses just her arms to swim because she was born with arthrogryposis, which limits movement in her legs. I'm really excited to share her story!

Meantime, take a look at this article by the Daily Herald's Burt Constable. I met him at the swimming competition at Lake Forest High School yesterday. We saw so many inspiring athletes there. Here's what one athlete told Constable about being called "inspiring":

"I don't really like the word 'inspire'. I hear it too much. I understand I am a role model, but you're just used to the body you have, and you use what you've got."

It's truly amazing (and yes, inspiring!) to see how well the athletes "use what they've got". None of them allow their disabilities to hold them back.

The championships continue through the week, with more swimming events, track and field and even archery. You can check out a full schedule of the events here.

Here's a picture slideshow that the NJDC created:

Inspiring Kid & Her Fundraiser

What a cutie!! NBC Chicago has a story about this 8-year-old girl who started her own fundraiser to help other kids.

Abby Enck sold a bunch of lemonade to raise money for kids at Lutheran General Children's Hospital in Park Ridge. Her younger brother has Cerebral Palsy and that's where he goes for treatment.

Abby noticed that the kids there like to color, so she started a fundraiser to buy them all new crayons. Abby will deliver nearly 1,000 boxes of crayons to the hospital next week!

She plans to sell lemonade again next year. This time, she wants to raise money to buy the kids at the hospital DVD's. What a great sister:)


Check out the full story on NBC Chicago here: 8-Year-Old Girl Creates Charity Lemonade Fundraiser

A Better Life

Here are a couple stories of people who used athletics to help turn their lives around. Both men below hit hard times at one point or another, and made the decision to work hard toward a more fulfilling lifestyle. Take a look at their stories:


Chicago Tribune: Boxing, discipline the combination for a better life

"People care for him. He has grown up to be a leader with incredible focus and dedication. He's more dependable than the sun."

At 12-years-old, Alex Martin Jr. was already getting bad grades and fighting at school in Harvey. His Father decided to start training him to box to give him some discipline and a way to channel his aggression. It worked. In high school, he was a focused athlete who earned a spot on the honor roll. Now, the 20-year-old is a nationally ranked amateur boxer who is scheduled to compete this week in the 2010 USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado. He's hoping to rank high enough for a free ride to college.



Chicago Sun-Times: Marathon man takes small steps and larger strides

"From where I was to where I am now has been a complete physical and spiritual recovery. I want to be a physical and spiritual inspiration to whoever I can help out for any reason."

Alan Robinson has made big changes in his life and hopes his story will help inspire others who may be on the wrong path. In 1991, after a night of drinking and doing drugs, he crashed his car into a viaduct and severed his cervical spine. He couldn't move from the neck down and was considered a quadriplegic. He wasn't supposed to recover, but miraculously did. Today, the 56-year-old has turned his life around and is running marathons to push himself. He has completed 12 marathons and now wants to walk across the country!

Help Honor Chicago's Veterans

Before the sun comes up tomorrow morning, a group of Chicago veterans will be in flight and on their way to Washington D.C. They get to make the day trip thanks to an amazing organization called Honor Flight Chicago.


The trip can be very emotional for the veterans. For some of them, it's the first time visiting our country's memorials and historical sites. For others, it's the first time they've felt comfortable enough to open up about their own war time history.

Honor Flight Chicago created a touching documentary highlighting the journey that the veterans take to Washington D.C. My favorite part is when they show the flight home. The veterans start singing "God Bless America" and then there's a mail call. All the veterans get letters from friends, family and even strangers, thanking them for their service.

The documentary is about 10 minutes (a little longer than the videos I usually post here), but I was really moved by it and had to share:

Honor Flight Chicago puts so much work into each one of these flights to make it a meaningful experience for the veterans. If you want to help honor these brave men and women, the organization is always looking for volunteers. It's also holding a fundraiser this Friday. Here are the details:

Friday, July 13
4:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Ralph's Restaurant
2245 Kennedy Rd
Bristol, IL

Chicago Teens Get Creative

A Chicago teen who calls himself "AnArkie" recently wrote and recorded his own song and put in online for the world to hear. He just finished his sophomore year at Phoenix Military Academy and is already making a name for himself! His success is in part thanks to the Chicago Public Library's YouMedia facility. That's where he learned to write and record his own music. Take a listen to his first track, I Believe:

"AnArkie" is just one of many teens in Chicago who are reaping the benefits of YouMedia. It's a facility inside the Harold Washington Library that welcomes any high school teenagers with a Chicago Public Library card. The space is equipped with state of the art equipment like laptop computers, still cameras, flip cameras, an in-house recording studio and even turntables.


Librarians and mentors lead workshops to help the teens expand their creativity and build their digital media skills. For example, students interested in video games can learn the theories behind video gaming, and students who want to learn how to make movies are taught about storytelling and editing.

YouMedia is a fabulous place for Chicago's teens to express themselves in a positive way. It's great to see students like "AnArkie" take initiative in their free time to learn more about the things that interest them. I'm sure in the future we'll hear about many more talented Chicagoans who got their start at YouMedia!

Hope, Chance & A Miracle

The Southtown Star has a story about a couple from Palos Park who has been through an inspiring journey of hope and chance that has resulted what some are calling a miracle.



*HOPE*

Six years ago, Cassidy suffered a severe brain injury in a boating accident. Doctors said the accident could leave her unable to walk, talk or read. However, she made a full recovery. Here's what she told the Southtown Star:

"No one was drinking, no one was doing anything reckless (the day of the accident)," she said. "It just shows that you really have no idea when you get in your car and go away what might happen, so just always leave things on good terms with the people you love."

*CHANCE*

Just 10 months after the accident, Cassidy was in a wedding and happened to be paired with a man named Clif. As they say, the rest is history! They fell in love and a year later, the two got married.

*MIRACLE*

Clif and Cassidy recently found out they're having triplets--conceived NATURALLY! The Sun Times says the chance of this happening is 1/8,000 and that it's best described as a "miracle", considering Cassidy was just minutes from death a couple years earlier.

Check out the full article in the by Elisabeth Martin: Triplets nothing short of miracle for couple

Grace's Angels By Her Side

A group of volunteers in the south suburbs that call themselves "Grace's Angels" are bringing together community members to help a baby girl get the care she needs.

Just days before Grace Gaskill was born in October of 2009, her parents Jim and Chrissy found out she had a heart defect. After her birth, they also learned she suffered from an under developed esophagus and Down Syndrome. Little Grace has now gone through three surgeries and there are more to come.

Her Dad, Jim, is balancing jobs as a firefighter in Tinley Park and New Lenox, and Chrissy has taken disability leave from her job to help care for Grace and her three other children. "Grace's Angels" are doing all they can to help the family with their medical bills.

Last month, the Angels got volunteers together to help throw a fundraiser for Grace. Friends, family and community members gathered at "115 Bourbon Street" in Merrionette Park to raise money for Grace.

It's so wonderful to see a community come together to help a family in need. The Gaskill Family is getting support from friends, family and even complete strangers. They've dealt with a lot over the last nine months, but it must be comforting to know that so many people care about their lives and the life of little Grace, who is continuing to inspire people with her fighting spirit.

To learn more about the fund for Grace, head online to Gods Gift of Grace. There, you can make an online donation. Donations can also be sent to the following address:

The Private Bank & Trust

C/O Chrissy and Jim Gaskill Jr

God's Gift of Grace

6825 W 111th St

Worth, IL 60482

Positive Impact of Drill Team

NBC Nightly News ran a great story last night about the South Shore Drill Team. The team is a positive outlet for many of Chicago's youth, who otherwise may have been drawn to a life of drugs and gangs.

You've likely seen them perform in a parade or in your community at some point over the last 30 years. They're amazing-- extremely disciplined and precise in their choreography! Take a look at the story by Kevin Tibbles and see how the drill team is helping give kids a brighter future:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thanks to Ben Resnick for passing this along!