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The Great Lost Teddy Bear of Glacier Park

Kids love their toys, especially the ones given to them during tough times. One child, Naomi Pascal, received such a toy when she was in an orphanage in Ethiopia and had kept it with her all through her trip to the U.S. and adoption. However, when her parents took the child Glacier National Park, the unthinkable happened. The child lost her special teddy bear and had to leave the park heartbroken with a tremendous emotional loss. On the off chance, Naomi’s parents left a message with the Park and hoped that the teddy bear would eventually turn up with lost and found. And, for that child who had already traveled half way around the world, fate as it turned out was in her favor.

Of course, a couple hundred or thousand set of eyes thanks to social media helped a lot in finding the lost teddy bear as well. One of those reading the social media plea for finding the missing bear turned out to be an actual park ranger. Like so many things, finding the bear turned out be a bit of luck, following procedures for safety, and Internet viral awareness.

The lost bear started getting traction when people kept reposting the plea on Facebook to find it. Well over 12,000 people connected with the story, elevating its awareness status as well as raising attention to actually find the lost teddy bear. For Naomi’s father, Ben Pascal, there was a hope maybe somebody eventually would find the toy and help return it.

The bear was extremely important to Naomi. It was the first present Ben and his wife Addie had given Noami prior to her adoption and eventual immigration to the U.S. to live with her new parents. No surprise, the bear, dubbed “Teddy,” was a fixture wherever Naomi went with her parents after her adoption. Unfortunately, when someone is out of their normal environment, which happens frequently on trips and travel, things get lost. That was the case in October 2020 when the family visited Glacier National Park, and the missing bear wasn’t realized until literally the night after a big hike in the Park. The toy could have been dropped just about anywhere in the Park the family had been without a clue. Everybody was consigned to the fact that the bear was lost, but Naomi was most of all by the loss.

With a snowfall that night that shut off the higher areas of the Park, retrieval was out of the question. So, a message of hopeful luck was left with the Park and the family returned to their home in Wyoming. Interestingly, the teddy bear didn’t stay lost that long. Ranger Tom Mazzarisi caught sight of the toy as he was doing his rounds monitoring the local bears as part of his job. Normally, lost items that are man-made get picked up and disposed of if not immediately valuable for recovery, such as a camera or jewelry. However, for some reason, Mazzarisi hesitated in placing the recovered toy in the trash back at the trailhead, and instead the teddy bear ended up being a passenger in the ranger’s patrol truck for the winter season. The bear also helped Mazzarisi with a few conversation starters over the next few months as well sitting in his truck. This situation pretty much continued until the next June when Addie Pascal’s Facebook post finally worked its way into the awareness of the Park staff.

As it turned out, family friends of the Pascals went back to Glacier National Park and double-checked all the lost and found locations for any hope of finding the bear. As they were walking around on one of the days of the trip, lo and behold, there was a teddy bear sitting inside a ranger’s truck on the dashboard. Not being sure, the friend snapped a photograph of the bear inside the truck and sent by mobile phone to Addie Pascal. Seeing the photo, Addie confirmed immediately that was Naomi’s missing bear!

To make matters even nuttier, it just happened to be Mazzarisi’s day off work, and the keys to his truck were nowhere to be found. None of the other rangers had a spare. So, all that could be done was leave a note on the truck and try via the other rangers to contact Mazzarisi. Once everybody figured out what was going on, the bear was retrieved, and the family friends not only had Teddy but a few other gifts from the rangers as well (a junior ranger badge and hat for Naomi)!

The whole bundle was shipped to Wyoming and, when Naomi got the package, she was ecstatic. As for ranger Mazzarisi, it turned out okay. While he lost his dashboard bear, the family friends bought him a new one for his truck, and it was named Clover.

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Missing Pregnant Cat Found at Ottawa Airport After 11 Days

Jess

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A pregnant cat named Athena was found at the Ottawa International Airport, almost two weeks after she disappeared in the parking area. She had traveled from Winnipeg to Ottawa. The team from Furry Tales Cat Rescue discovered her around midnight on a Tuesday, and thankfully, she’s in good shape.

Volunteer Marta Burczycka from Furry Tales Cat Rescue expressed immense joy and gratitude for Athena’s safe return, highlighting her strong maternal instincts to protect her unborn kittens. The rescue operation caught attention after a helpful tip from Blake Fawcett, an employee working near the airport, who notified the rescue team.

Athena was initially sent to Ottawa on March 21 to get better veterinary care and a safe place to have her kittens. Unfortunately, she escaped when her carrier opened accidentally. For 11 days, volunteers and the rescue team worked tirelessly, setting traps and distributing flyers across the airport to find her before she gave birth.

The community effort was huge, with many airport employees and volunteers spreading the word and looking out for Athena. Janice Richard, one of the trappers, mentioned how they found Athena hungry but still pregnant, emphasizing the collective relief and happiness at her safe recovery.

The rescue story ended happily with Athena being taken care of and preparing to have her kittens in a safe and loving environment, thanks to the persistent efforts of the rescue team and the community’s support.

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America’s Youngest Teacher Started Her Career at 16

Kelly Taylor

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Shania Muhammad became a teacher at just 16 years old, after graduating from college at 15. She grew up in a home where learning was very important. She told “Good Morning America” about how her older brothers and sisters were big influences on her. They did well in school, which inspired her to do the same.

In seventh grade, her father noticed her advanced skills and started preparing her for college entrance exams. This led to her enrolling in college early and feeling like a superhero because she was so young. By 15, she was already finished with college and soon got a job offer to teach.

Muhammad waited until she was 16, so she could drive herself to work, and then started teaching 8-year-old students. These students see her as an adult and respect her, she says. In her classroom, she loves to keep the kids active with group work, presentations, and debates, creating a dynamic and engaging environment.

She encourages open communication in her class, telling her students they can talk about anything with her. Muhammad believes it’s important to have more confidence in success than in failure.

In her conversation with “Good Morning America,” Muhammad shared her view on facing the unknown with courage rather than fear. She encourages people to not hesitate and to create opportunities for themselves if they don’t already exist.

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Millions Tune In To See Conservation Group Save Seals

Kelly Taylor

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Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN) is a group with a big heart and an important mission. Based in Namibia, a country with long, beautiful coastlines, OCN is dedicated to saving seals, especially the cute baby ones, from dangerous plastic and fishing lines.

Imagine you’re at the beach, and you see a group of seals playing and lounging around. Suddenly, you notice something’s wrong. One of the seals is stuck, tangled up in a mess of plastic or fishing line. It’s struggling and can’t get free. That’s where OCN comes in.

The team at OCN, led by Katja and Naude Dreyer, a married couple passionate about the ocean and its creatures, runs across the beach, right into the groups of seals. They’re on a mission to find any seal that’s trapped in harmful debris. Once they spot a tangled seal, they quickly and carefully cut off the entangling mess and set the seal free.

Since 2020, OCN has rescued about 3,000 seals! That’s a lot of happy, healthy seals swimming back in the ocean because of their efforts. Their rescue missions became super popular online during the pandemic. People all over the world watched their videos, feeling a bit better seeing the seals being saved during tough times.

OCN’s work is unique and impactful. Jeff Harris, a research ecologist, mentioned that the number of seals OCN saves is much higher than in other parts of the world. While he managed to free 100 sea lions in his best year, OCN often saves that many seals in just a month!

The Dreyers started OCN about twelve years ago. Initially, Naude would try to free the seals using a paddle or by grabbing them, but it was tough. Things got better when they received a special seal rescue net, making their missions easier and safer.

During the pandemic, when their kayaking business paused, they focused even more on rescuing seals. They also shared their work online, touching people’s hearts worldwide. Their video titled “Baby seal thanks his rescuers” got over a million views!

OCN not only raises awareness about the seals but also shows us the bigger problem – our oceans are filled with trash. They’ve shown that every little bit helps and that we can all do something to protect our marine life.

With donations from kind-hearted people, OCN has grown, now having a team of seven dedicated members. They’re doing more than just rescuing seals; they’re inspiring others to care about our oceans and the creatures that call them home. The Dreyers themselves have even changed their lifestyle, choosing not to eat fish and other animal products, to live in a way that respects the animals they work so hard to save.

So, Ocean Conservation Namibia is not just about saving seals; it’s about changing the way we see and treat our oceans, one rescue at a time.

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Hero Bus Driver Saves Students from Fiery Danger in New Orleans

Kevin Wells

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In a heart-stopping incident in New Orleans, a school bus driver named Kia Rousseve became a local hero when she saved nine students from a burning bus. Her quick actions turned a potentially tragic situation into a story of courage and quick thinking.

It was a regular Wednesday morning, and Rousseve was on her usual route, about to make her fifth stop, when she noticed something alarming: smoke was coming from the bus. Without a moment’s hesitation, she knew she had to act fast. “As soon as I seen the bus smoking, my instinct was get them off of the bus,” Rousseve recounted.

A little girl on the bus ran up to her and confirmed her fears, saying the bus was on fire underneath. Rousseve didn’t waste a second. She stopped the bus and made sure all the students got off safely. “I turned the bus off and got off. When I got off, the bus blew up,” she said, describing the terrifying sounds of the explosions.

Rousseve’s primary thought during the ordeal was her child, which fueled her determination to ensure the safety of all the students on board. Her employer, Community Academies of New Orleans, praised her actions as “Courage on wheels.” Having driven school buses for three years, Rousseve demonstrated experience and bravery that day.

Feeling grateful and proud, Rousseve believes a faulty alternator was the cause of the fire. She’s relieved and happy that she could save the lives of the children, as well as her own. “I feel great about saving other kids’ lives and saving my life,” she expressed, adding that she felt divine protection was at play during the emergency.

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Mackenzie Scott’s Big Give: $640 Million to Nonprofits

Shannon Jackson

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Mackenzie Scott has made headlines again with her generous donations to nonprofit organizations. Initially, Scott promised to give $1 million each to 250 nonprofits, but she surprised everyone by more than doubling her donation! Now, she’s giving a whopping $640 million to 361 organizations.

So, who is Mackenzie Scott? She’s a billionaire philanthropist who likes to help out by giving her money to groups that do good things for communities. This time, her organization, Yield Giving, decided to help even more than planned because of the great work these nonprofits are doing.

Scott worked with an organization called Lever for Change to find these nonprofits. They had a big, open call where nonprofits could apply for the money, and the response was amazing. Lever for Change said they were so impressed by the work these groups are doing that they wanted to give money to more of them.

Here’s how it broke down: 279 top-rated nonprofits got $2 million each, while another 82 organizations received $1 million each. These groups do all sorts of important work, like helping people get back on their feet after being in jail, or creating theater programs with young people in Los Angeles.

What’s really cool is how they decided who got the money. It wasn’t just a few people making all the decisions. Instead, the nonprofits got to score each other, and then a panel of experts made the final picks. This way, lots of different voices helped choose the winners.

Scott and her team believe it’s important to shine a light on these organizations that are making big changes but might not always get noticed. They want to make sure these groups have what they need to keep doing their great work.

Mackenzie Scott said sharing information about these donations is important because it helps others see the good that comes from giving. She hopes that by talking about it, more people will be inspired to help out in their own ways.

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