Las Vegas cab driver Gerardo Gamboa returns $300,000 found in his taxi, wanted to ‘do the right thing’

Talk about a Christmas miracle.

A Las Vegas cab driver who found $300,000 — $100 bills in six $50,000 bundles — in a brown paper bag in the back seat of his taxi returned the money to the owner, a gambler who had won big at the Cosmopolitan.

Yellow Checker Star named cabbie Gerardo Gamboa its Driver of the Year, rewarding him with $1,000 and a dinner for two at an exclusive restaurant. Gamboa may still get a reward from the unidentified gambler.

Gamboa picked up the player Monday morning at the Cosmopolitan and took him to Palms Place, where the passenger gave him a $5 tip.

Gamboa’s next stop was the Bellagio, where a doorman removed the bag from the back seat of the car and put it on the front passenger seat, surmising it was chocolate left behind by a previous rider.

When Gamboa stopped at a traffic light after picking up his next passenger, he peeked inside the bag and discovered the money.

“I told my passenger, ‘You are my witness on this,’ and then I immediately called my dispatcher,” Gamboa said.

Once the cash was secured at the taxi company office, it was tracked to the owner through Cosmopolitan records. The man arrived at the office in sweats and a T-shirt to reclaim his money, but he didn’t have any identification.

YCS officials took another few hours conferring with the Cosmopolitan and Metro Police to make sure they were handing the money over to the right person.

“He was really polite about it and waited patiently,” said Bill Shranko, a YCS manager. “He said he’d do whatever was necessary.”

Once his identity was verified, YCS turned the cash over to the player, who asked to see Gamboa to shake his hand. He told Gamboa he planned to reward him and got his contact information.

“If he doesn’t give me anything, that’s OK,” Gamboa said. “I’m not waiting for any kind of return. I just wanted to do the right thing, and I appreciate what the company did for me.”

Gamboa, a humble and religious man who has worked for YCS for 13 years, has now become a media star, fielding interview requests from Los Angeles, Chicago and New York about the unusual find.

Today's Good Newsz Quote of the Day...

8 year old Delaney "Laney" Brown, suffering from leukemia, wishes to hear Christmas carols...

A very special little girl and the power of social media have inspired one of the most remarkable outpourings of the Christmas spirit that we've seen yet.

Delaney "Laney" Brown of West Reading, Pa. was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May, and her condition worsened as the holidays approached, WPVI reports. On December 17, the family was told she had only weeks to live.

With Laney's 8th birthday on December 20 and Christmas around the corner, her family turned to the Team Laney Facebook page, which shares updates on Laney's condition with more than 94,000 followers, for help in granting some of her wishes. One of her wishes was to listen to Christmas carols and another was to meet with area native Taylor Swift.

A few weeks ago, the Make-A-Wish Foundation stepped in and arranged a video call with Swift on Laney's birthday. Then, the next day, thousands of followers showed up under her home to fulfill her wish.

A 'Christmas Caroling for Laney' event was organized for Saturday at 7 pm outside of the family's home. Volunteers were asked to sing for an hour from the street so that Laney could listen from her bed. Almost 10,000 carolers turned up, according to a press release.

"Community Servings" delivers meals and hope....

Boston- Lisa Belyea, bed ridden with multiple sclerosis, knew her husband did his best to feed them. But George, a forklift operator, couldn’t do much more than cook hot dogs and beans or microwave a grocery store frozen meal. It was depressing and unhealthy. But not anymore. On a recent day, George, 66, carried into their Quincy kitchen a bag packed with 10 freshly prepared frozen dinner entrees and desserts, as well as lunch soups and salads, and snacks. He and Lisa will eat the food and then get a similar bounty each week, thanks to the non-profit organization Community Servings. “Almost every week it’s like Christmas,” said Lisa, 59. “We go through the bag and it’s like, ‘Wow, what did we get?’ It’s exciting. The food is really good and I get all the nutrition I need.” The only program of its kind in New England, Community Servings provides meals made from scratch to people unable to cook for themselves because of medical conditions. Their children and caregivers also receive meals. Its mantra is “Delivering meals, delivering hope.” The food is both nutrition and comfort, and its creation and delivery are a marvel of organization and commitment. In its industrial kitchen in Jamaica Plain last week, professional chefs cooked 855 Christmas Cornish hen dinners, with sides and pumpkin pie. Holli Van Nest of Randolph was one of about 50 volunteers who helped throughout the day, joining a packaging and labeling assembly line. Last week, she spent hours preparing holiday gift baskets. “It’s a nice feeling to know you are useful and going to make a difference to people who are sick,” said Van Nest, a contract administrator who has been a volunteer for 12 years. “The people who work here make sure we know we are appreciated.” Van Nest and other volunteers have a year-round Christmas spirit that allows Community Servings to thrive. From 50-75 volunteers prep and package 8,750 meals a day, six days a week, for severely ill people, prepared by professional chefs and food service trainees. What’s more, chefs cook up to 25 types of meals, adapted for people with diabetes, kidney failure, lactose intolerance and other conditions. Although the volume is large, the chefs prepare all the food from scratch because they want it to be both flavorful and attractive. “Because our clients are sick and losing their appetite, we have to think about what would motivate them to eat,” said executive director David Waters. “If it looks like cafeteria food, people won’t eat it. Our goal is to bring meals that evoke memories of a safe and secure time. The food can be a powerful gift if it gives a sense of solace and love.” The chefs, who come from a variety of backgrounds and countries, often adapt their family recipes, so that the dishes reflect the cuisines of different cultures. The standard meal is high in protein, low in salt and has lots of fresh vegetables – thanks in part to the 2,000 pounds of local produce donated weekly. Snacks are fruit, yogurt and cereal.

At "Christmas in the City" children's carnival wishes come true for 1000's of homeless kids...

The all-volunteer “Christmas in the City” event for local homeless children had a banner afternoon yesterday, celebrating its 25th anniversary with a record turnout for its free “Winter Wonderland” indoor carnival and surprise visits from dignitaries.

“We couldn’t not do it, this is what we look forward to every single year,” said Sparky Kennedy, who founded the celebration with her husband, Jake. “We just want to see smiles.”

The event at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center spread cheer to more than 4,400 children and their parents, which organizers said is a record. In addition to a hot meal, the children received gifts off of their own wish lists, as well as books, hats, mittens, jackets and garments.

“We want to make it so that the kids realize wishes can come true and promises can be kept,” event spokesman Barry Chait said.

Gov. Deval Patrick and U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey both offered commendations to the event’s organizers, including a folded American flag that flew over the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. But the biggest applause was reserved for Santa, who arrived on a grand chariot behind a line of bagpipers.

“Christmas in the City” is funded by public donations. To help, go to christmasinthecity.org.

Today's Good Newsz Only Quote of the Day...

Former Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader Rachel Washburn is now performing for a new audience as a soldier in the U.S. Army

As a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader, Rachel Washburn toted pom-poms. As an Army intelligence officer with a special ops combat unit in Afghanistan, she carried an assault rifle and pistol. She was a pioneer on a special mission to relate to local women in ways that would be culturally inappropriate for male troops — including helping deliver an Afghan baby in a snowstorm.

Washburn, 25, who recently returned from her second tour in Afghanistan, will be honored Sunday night as a "Hometown Hero" by the Eagles at their home game against the Chicago Bears.

Cheerleader turned soldier? Did that turn heads when she was in military training or living in a mud hut with Green Berets in a village in Afghanistan?

"Initially, it was kind of a novelty to people I met if they ever found out," Washburn said Thursday in a phone interview from Savannah, Ga., where she was on the first day of her post-deployment leave.

"It's kind of a bit of a shock. You don't expect those two things to go hand in hand with one person."

She didn't join the Army on a whim. During her three seasons with the Eagles, Washburn was an Army ROTC student and history major at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Her father was an Army helicopter pilot and an Air Force fighter pilot. She figures she moved 17 or 18 times growing up, but she calls Philadelphia home even though she just attended college there.

"I am so proud of Rachel and all of her extraordinary accomplishments. She has tremendous courage and has made an amazing impact on the lives of others," said Barbara Zaun, Eagles director of cheerleading.

During Washburn's freshman year at Drexel in 2006, she had a friend who was a basketball cheerleader with the Philadelphia 76ers. Washburn loved dancing and thought that would be a "cool experience." With her fondness for football, she tried out for the Eagles squad in the spring of her freshman year.

"I knew it was kind of a long shot with all those beautiful, talented women that try out every year," she said. "I just thought, why not? Go big or go home."

Former NHL hockey player Chris Nilan is fighting for different reasons now and he's winning the battle...

When he reached for the doorknob it was like dropping his gloves again, but this time he wouldn’t be going toe to toe with Terry O’Reilly or Dave Brown or Jay Miller; that would be a piece of cake compared to the battle he was engaged in now.

Back in town after a lengthy stay at a distant rehab facility, Chris Nilan, the West Roxbury kid known as Knuckles, was about to attend the first of 90 meetings in 90 days, joining other self-professed alcoholics in their anonymous efforts to reach and maintain sobriety.

But when you’re the Montreal Canadiens’ all-time leader in penalty minutes, a legendary combatant who had 222 fights during 13 seasons in the NHL, anonymity can be elusive.

“I stood at that door almost terrified,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘Everybody’s going to know me.’ But then I figured if I was never embarrassed to have people seeing me half in the wrapper in a bar, why should I be embarrassed to have them see me sober? So I opened the door and said, ‘Hi, my name’s Chris,’ and admitted I was there because I was powerless.”

That was three years ago. By the grace of God he’s been clean and sober ever since.

He had tried it once before, but notoriety beat sobriety.

“I’d bump into people who’d say, ‘My friend saw you at a meeting the other night.’ It would really upset me because what you see in those rooms is supposed to stay in those rooms. But even in the rooms I’d meet guys who wanted to talk hockey, and I’d be so frustrated, thinking, ‘This is not why I’m here.’ So I’d stop going.

“Looking back, maybe I was just looking for an out. Maybe I just wasn’t ready.”

But now, at 55, Knuckles embraces a life second to none.

He hosts a daily talk show in Montreal, where he has become a highly visible pillar of the community, well-known in schools for his anti-bullying presentations and his advocacy of a program that supports battered women.

What he gives them all is the gift of honesty, letting them know they’re looking at a drunk who, by the power of his example, proves their past doesn’t have to be their future, too.

It’s the same gift he hopes to give readers of “Fighting Back,” his newly published book (Triumph Books).

“I fought a lot in the NHL,” he says, “but I didn’t fight every day. With this thing, you do fight every day. But thank God I’m winning, one a day at a time.”

11 year old Sarah Murnaghan is getting healthy and strong after her double lung transplant that changed the rules of how organs are allocated.

Six months after a life-saving double lung transplant, the Pennsylvania girl whose parents changed the way the organs are allocated in the U.S. is growing healthy and strong — and she wants a Furby Boom for Christmas.

Sarah Murnaghan, 11, can breathe on her own and walk by herself for short distances. She speaks in a clear, calm voice, even on a day with a slight scare over too much congestion in her chest.

“The morning was a bit rough, but I’m feeling a bit better,” she told NBC News by phone Friday.

That simple sentence is priceless to Sarah’s mom, Janet Murnaghan, who, with her husband, went to federal court to force the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, or OPTN, to alter its rules and allow the child to be considered for transplant based on how sick she was, instead of her age.

“When we started, we thought we were going to lose Sarah,” the Newtown Square, Pa., mother told NBC News. “People have criticized me for going to court, but what other choice did I have?”

Sarah’s quest for a transplant was among the top health stories of 2013, raising questions ofwhether it’s ethical to change the way the nation’s scarce supply of organs is allocated based on the case of just one child.

At the time, officials — including Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius — argued that such a request jeopardized the fairness of the overall system.

“I would suggest, sir, that, again, this is an incredibly agonizing situation where someone lives and someone dies,” Sebelius told Rep. Lou Barletta during a Congressional hearing.

Murnaghan said she’s still angry at that comment — and at Sebelius, who denied her daughter’s appeal.

“When she made the statement that somebody has to die, she stepped over a line in me as a mother,” said Murnaghan, 39. “There was a lack of compassion, a lack of awareness that one life does matter.”

Since June, at least nine other children have requested exemption to the existing rules, which prevent kids younger than 12 from being considered for adolescent or adult lungs until those organs have been offered to the over-12 groups first. The Murnaghans successfully argued that the severity of a child's illness, not age, should be the key factor in being considered for the adult transplant list.

Two of those 10 children received transplants under the OPTN exception, including Sarah, who got two sets of lungs because one failed. Three children received transplants from the original waiting list registration and four are still waiting, according to records from the United Network for Organ Sharing, or UNOS. 

Today's Good Newsz Quote of the Day...

Inspiration: Brenda Schmitz had 3 wishes after she passed away from ovarian cancer...her wishes were granted 2 years later.

Brenda Schmitz had always been touched by the "Star" 102.5 Christmas Wish program that a Des Moines radio station runs each year.

"About a week and half ago we got a letter in the mail," Scott Allen said Friday night. He's the brand manager at the station, KSTZ "Star" 102.5 FM. "We've been doing the Christmas Wish program for 20-plus years. We've never received a wish like this, ever."

The letter was from Schmitz, written over two years ago, one month before she died of ovarian cancer. She asked a friend to wait until Schmitz's husband, David, had found a new love to marry before delivering the letter. The station every year takes submissions of Christmas Wishes and consults with local partners to grant some of them.

"I have a wish for David and the boys and the woman and her family if she has kids also," she wrote. "I want them to know I love them very much and they always feel safe in a world of pain." David and Brenda had four sons: Carter, Josh, Justin and Max.

Station officials told David Schmitz on Thursday that they were granting a Christmas Wish for him. But he didn't know about Brenda's letter until he was in the studio and on the air — hearing host Colleen Kelly read his wife's words.

"It's not surprising, 'cause the last year and a half she's shown so many signs that she's there," he said during the broadcast Thursday.

The first wish: For something that would pamper David's new partner (Jane, to whom David proposed this past summer).

"She deserves it," Brenda Schmitz wrote. "Being a step-mother to all those boys, and especially giving little Max a mother's love that only she can give. Make her smile and know her efforts are truly appreciated from me."

Schmitz adds: "Thank you. I love you, whoever you are."

Jane brings two kids of her own to David's family. A letter for Jane was also in the envelope sent to the radio station.

Schmitz second wish was for her family.

"For the family: a magical trip," she wrote. "Somewhere where they all can enjoy their company and companionship as a family and create those memories that will be with them forever."

Her final wish was for the cancer nurses and doctors in her unit at Mercy Medical Center: "A night out full of drinks, food and fun for all they do every day for the cancer patients they encounter."

The station told David all three of Brenda's wishes will be granted, with help from sponsors.

The family of eight will fly to Disney World, with flights and accommodations paid for. Mediacom is providing all the family members with park hopper passes for four days.

Jane will be pampered with a massage at Disney World.

And three coordinated food drops, provided by In the Bag Corporate Catering, will be provided to the oncology unit at Mercy Medical Center.

Other contributors were Service Legends Heating & Cooling, Grip-Tite Foundation Repair and Slumberland Furniture.

"There wasn't a dry eye in the room when we got" the letter, Allen said. "It really inspired us to do something for her."

Photo: Star1025.com

A committee of 10 people typically reviews all requests for a Christmas Wish and decides whether to grant them.

"There was no question that we were going to do something for this wish," Allen said. "It was what could we do that would be deserving of Brenda's name and memory."

85 year old James Gray places an ad looking to spend Christmas day with someone and is overwhelmed with responses...

The 85-year-old turned to The Irish Post in desperation earlier this month, placing an advert in the hope of finding someone to spend December 25 with.

And since we reported his story the retired butler, who is living in south London, has been inundated with offers from prospective companions.

He is now looking forward to receiving his first Christmas cards in years after a Christmas card appeal (see below) from The Irish Post.

“It is so touching to me, after all these years alone, to see this response from people,” he said. “I’m so appreciative of the offers. I should have done this years ago.”

Mr Gray’s story has taken Ireland and Britain by storm since The Irish Post reported it.

Major broadcasters, including BBC Five Live, as well as national newspapers on each side of the Irish Sea have joined the campaign to find the 85-year-old a festive friend.

That has led to messages of support from thousands of readers and listeners touched by his story.

A number of people have also offered to help Mr Gray break his lonely streak by having Christmas dinner with him this year.

Volunteers have come from as far away as Scotland’s Isle of Skye and New York in the US.

Mr Gray, who is originally from Midleton, Co Cork,  said he is looking forward to receiving his first Christmas cards in years from some of those who have been in touch with The Irish Post.

“I did not get a single card for my birthday in August, but I just had to put up with it,” he said.

17 year old teenager Jessica Peterson spends more than $500 to help the homeless...

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – An East Bethel teenager is a picture of the holiday season of giving, donating her entire paycheck to buy Christmas gifts for more than 50 homeless Minnesotans.

Jessica Peterson, 17, doesn’t make much working at Taco Bell, but she wanted to do something special for those less fortunate. She spent more than $500 to purchase pants, socks and snacks for 58 people at the Stepping Stone homeless shelter in Anoka County.

“It feels great to help other people, and it’s great that they can have a nice Christmas, too,” Peterson said. “I work a lot, and don’t have many bills and just thought: Why not?”

Stepping Stone is the only homeless shelter serving Anoka County adults who are in a difficult circumstance.

Peterson and her family will deliver the gifts in person on Christmas Eve.

“I can’t wait to meet them, talk to them and get to know them,” Peterson said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

Her mom is hopeful her daughter’s generosity will inspire others.

“I’m just so incredibly proud of her, coming up with this idea entirely on her own,” Liz Uram said. “I thought at first it was just going to be a simple toy drop-off, but once she got going you couldn’t stop her. She has a big heart.”

Peterson is a senior at St. Francis High School in St. Francis, Minn.

Today's Good Newsz Quote of the Day...

3 young boys rewarded for their honesty after finding a box full of money...

Fox 2 News Headlines

"Boys will be boys," the saying goes. But in this case, it means something different: when faced with a difficult decision, these boys will make the choice that shows they're full of integrity.

According to WJBK-TV, Jason Burgess, Malachi Shelton and LaMont Kirkesy were playing in a park in Warren, Mich. when they made a surprising discovery: a box full of money. The two 10-year-olds and their 7-year-old friend didn't pocket the $100, but instead took it home to show a family member. Burgess' grandmother figured out from a check that it was a collection box belonging to a local church and helped them return it, according to the local Fox affiliate.

Warren Mayor Jim Fouts gave the three boys some motivation to keep up their do-gooder streak: on Thursday, he presented them with mayoral resolutions for their honesty, according to the Associated Press.

"What a wonderful Christmas gift you have given to all of the young people in the metro area," Fouts said, according to WJBK-TV. "And that is you serve as models of honesty and integrity."

Though the boys look almost bewildered by all the attention, being rewarded for their good deed will likely be a lasting memory.

School teacher Jennifer Davis gets the best gift of all from one of her students...

When math teacher Jennifer Davis looked in her school mailbox last week, she found the perfect holiday gift.

Davis, who teaches at West Mesquite High School in Texas, had received a thank-you note from a student. Davis says the note gave her goose bumps.

“Before school even started I dreaded your class," the note read, in part. "I honestly hate math and I didn’t want to repeat Algebra I again. I judged you before I even knew you. Over the year, you’ve shown me what it’s like to have a teacher that truly cares."

Davis told The Huffington Post over the phone that while she has received notes from students in the past, this one was especially touching.

“This was obviously extremely special, especially because we don’t really know each other, and it’s not her favorite class. So it means more that it’s coming from a hard audience,” Davis said. “It just hit the perfect note. It was so genuine and heartfelt and heartwarming.”

We hope more students take a cue from this student and give teachers the recognition they deserve. 

(Hat tip, The Dallas Morning News)

101 year old Catherine "Tina" Lancelotta graduates from high school 85 years after dropping out to support her family during the Great Depression...

Catherine “Tina” Lancelotta had always been a whiz.

When her husband started a masonry business, she was given the job of double-checking his math on cost estimates for customers. When she worked in the drapery department at Jordan Marsh department store, she could mentally tabulate the amount of fabric it would take to cover a window’s dimensions. For years, her go-to pastime was crossword puzzles, and she completed one each night before bed.

And yet, the 101-year-old Woburn resident had one regret: She had never earned her high school diploma.

That changed Friday, when Lancelotta became the oldest person to ever receive a diploma from Woburn Memorial High School , 85 years after she was forced to drop out to support her family through the Great Depression.

Wheelchair-bound but ebullient, the centenarian rolled up to the school stage Friday morning to the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance” and accepted her degree as Mayor Scott Galvin, principal Joseph Finigan, and the student body cheered her on.

‘I was very, very proud of myself. I didn’t expect to have it in me!’

Catherine Lancelotta 

With the black leather-bound diploma in hand, she waved to the crowd. “It’s a joy to get this,” she proclaimed into the microphone.

“She was all excited,” said Lancelotta’s youngest daughter, Maureen DelCore, 71. “She was afraid to go up there, but she was all smiles.”

Today's Good Newsz Story of the Day...

$40 million lottery winner Tom Crist is giving it all away to charity in order to honor his late wife...

Tom Crist is the wealthiest lottery winner in Calgary history; but he won’t be for much longer.

The recently retired 64-year-old plans to give away every penny of the $40 million windfall he landed in May playing LOTTO Max — a subscription-based lottery game.

Crist will spread his winnings across many charities over a number of years. He has no idea which organizations yet, except for one: the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.

Crist’s wife, Jan, died of lung cancer in February 2012, aged 57.

“Tom Baker will be one of them because they treated her,” Crist said.

“Tom Baker’s dear to my heart, no question.”

The news may come as a shock to the Calgary care facility. Crist hasn’t told a soul about his winnings until now, not even his four children, although they will now help him choose charities and manage donations.

“It’s just going to unfold next year, so we’ll decide as a family what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it,” he said.

“The nice part is you can keep donating for years and years. It’ll be in my family trust … and we’ll just carry on.”

Crist was golfing in Palm Springs when he took the call about his win. He was “speechless” for a moment, but knew immediately he wouldn’t keep his winnings.

“I’m fortunate enough that I’ve done well for myself … financially. I don’t need the money.”

Crist has been playing LOTTO Max for about five years, but confessed to being passive subscriber.

“I just renew it every year,” he said.

“They send me a notice and I pay them. I don’t know what numbers I won on, I don’t even pay attention. I just pay them every year and I know I’ve got a ticket.

“Sometimes I’d get a cheque for $10 or $20, but I never expected this.”

Calgary’s lottery record was previously held by a city couple who won $30 million in February.

Crist retired as president and chief executive of electronics company EECOL in September.

After an extended holiday in Southeast Asia in the new year, he will turn his attention to the donations, starting with the Tom Baker centre.

61 year old blind man Cecil Williams can keep his dog thanks to outpouring of support through social media...

Thanks to overwhelming support from well wishers, the aging guide dog who saved his blind master after he fell onto New York City subway tracks can keep living with his owner after he retires from service next year, the dog's owner said Wednesday.

Cecil Williams, 61, tumbled from a subway platform in upper Manhattan after fainting Tuesday morning. His black Labrador guide dog, Orlando, jumped down to the tracks and kissed Williams to revive him as witnesses tried to slow an oncoming train. 

"I lost consciousness and he was trying to pull me back," an emotional Williams said during a news conference from the New York hospital where he was recovering. "But when you have a dog in a harness, I guess I fell over and he fell over with me. When we fell over, he stayed down there with me. And he was licking my face, but he was there for me." 

Both were struck but only received minor injuries, and Williams credits Orlando for saving his life.

Initial stories about the dog's rescue drew widespread concern over whether Orlando would be able to keep living with Williams. At nearly 11 years old, Orlando is set to retire early next year, but Williams’ insurance will only pay for an actively working dog. 

"It’s a time to rejoice," Williams said at Wednesday's press conference. "I appreciate that people got together and they helped me to keep Orlando. ... Somebody made a donation, and it is going to cover him for the rest of his life."