11 Good News Stories: $1M Get-Well Card; Accidental Thanksgiving

ACROSS AMERICA — The Grinch has been out and about. But this unpleasant and wicked stealer of Christmas with a heart two times too small has met his match.

Nick Kendle is none of those things.

Instead, the Hagerstown, Maryland, man is just a regular, happy guy who became the oxymoron of the Dr. Seuss character last year when he decided the pandemic had stolen so much from his neighbors.

Kendle — whose alter ego is Mr. Grinch, not The Grinch who stole Whoville’s Christmas — is again this year standing on the sidewalk waving at passersby, handing out candy canes and generally being festive.

“I don't want people to lose any Christmas spirit because of COVID,” he told Patch. “So I'm trying to get people in the holiday spirit.” » By Michelle Rotuno-Johnson for Baltimore Patch

The Anti-Grinch

There’s a real Grinch, the one that is poverty, that robs kids year-round. Operation Santa Claus, a charity of a public and private service employees union that has been filling kids stockings throughout New Hampshire for more than 60 years, needed some help this year after sponsorships fell away and Santa was suddenly homeless. A Concord commercial developer provided the space for Santa’s workshop, but also passed the cup at his local Kiwanis Club meeting to raise thousands of dollars to to fill his sleigh. » By Tony Schinella for Concord, New Hampshire, Patch

Judge Metes Out Joy With Gavel

Lori Umbria now knows what it's like to have her soul "broken" — in a good way. She and her partner, David, were among the dozens of New Jersey parents who experienced a life-changing moment last month, finalizing adoptions for their new child — or children, as in their case. "As soon as that gavel raps, as soon as the judge announces it — it's the best feeling in the world," Umbria said. "It just breaks your soul." In late November – just before the Thanksgiving holiday — county vicinages held adoption ceremonies for dozens of families across New Jersey in tribute to National Adoption Day, honoring an effort that many judges and court employees have called their favorite of the year. » By Eric Kiefer for Bloomfield, New Jersey, Patch

Ready For This? Or This?

Alexander McLeish has about a million incentives to recover from open heart surgery: a $1 million lottery scratch-off ticket tucked inside a get-well card from a friend. Are you ready for this? The first three letters he scratched off were his initials: A, W and M. It gets better. The word revealed with each flake in the bottom row of the winning puzzle: HEART. » By Michael Wittner for Attleboro, Massachusetts, Patch

He Took A Bullet For Strangers

“Hero” is a label that’s tossed around a lot. Michael Haynes, 22, of Mount Greenwood, Illinois, can rightly claim it. He stood between an “irate” man with a gun and other customers at a gas station and was shot in the process. His injuries aren’t life-threatening, but he still faces a long, expensive recovery. “I raised Michael to be righteous, to stand up for others, to say something when someone is being hurt or being wronged,” his mother wrote on a crowdfunding page. » By Lorraine Swanson for Alsip, Illinois, Patch

Wrong-Number Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving Eve meetup between Gladys Henderson, 80, and Mike Moffitt was as accidental as their friendship. The Delray Beach, Florida, woman called Moffitt in Rhode Island by mistake two decades ago, and the two spoke regularly after that. Moffitt and his family were in the Sunshine State looking at colleges Thanksgiving week and were stuck in traffic when he realized how close he was to his wrong-number pal’s home. He showed up, flowers in hand. When he introduced himself, she threw up her arms and said, “I’m blessed.” » By Tiffany Razzano for Sarasota, Florida, Patch

Deputy Awesome

In a precocious reversal of roles, a girl from Dade City, Florida, girl surprised county sheriff's deputies with citations — not for police misconduct, though. "Stop,” the girl named Olivia wrote on her hand-designed cards. “You have received a ticket for being awesome. Thank you for serving our community." » By D’Ann Lawrence White for Lutz, Florida, Patch

Far More Than A Touchdown

With a single carry of the pigskin across the goal line, Jessica Felix scored a huge touchdown not just for East Orange but also for aspiring football players across New Jersey. Felix is the only female player on the East Orange Campus High School varsity football squad, and just the second in the team's history. » By Eric Kiefer for West Orange, New Jersey, Patch

She Got Her Wish

Abi, a 4-year-old Maryland girl with a rare blood disorder, got her wish, and motorists along Route 301 in North Brentwood, Maryland, need only look up to see what it is: She’s a billboard model for Macy’s “Believe Campaign,” a wish made possible by the store and Make-A-Wish Atlantic. » By Michelle Rotuno-Johnson for Hyattsville, Maryland, Patch

Will Betty White Be There?

Whether Betty White will attend is one of the big questions after the announcement of the first-ever “Golden-Con: Thank You For Being A Fan,” a festival to be held in Chicago this spring for fans of the long-running sitcom “The Golden Girls.” There’s no word yet on whether White, the show’s only surviving star, will attend. Her 100th birthday is in January. » By Mark Konkol for Chicago Patch

Elvis Has Returned

An Elvis-themed camping chair that disappeared in the chaos of the Waukesha, Wisconsin, Christmas Parade tragedy wasn’t an ordinary chair. It was as if David Wagner, who died of COVID-19 complications last year at the age of 57, was alongside his 9-year-old great-nephew, Brayden Kading. Now, Elvis has returned to the building. » By Karen Pilarski for Waukesha, Wisconsin, Patch

Bonus: Celebrate The Holidays With Patch

Here are three holiday stories we’d like to bring to your attention:

• Win A Prize Package With Your Gingerbread House: The deadline to submit the official entry form is Dec. 7.
• Help Patch Find The Best Holiday Lights In America: Enter your lights display by Dec. 14.
• Participate In Patch’s 2nd Annual Holiday Food Drive: Give to Feeding America through Dec. 31 (100 percent of your gift goes to the charity, which supplies food banks, pantries and meal programs in your community).

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