Ready to say “aww!” a lot and/or feel like hugging the next person you see?
Welcome to our new feature: Feel Good Friday. Every Friday, we’re going to highlight several stories that went viral over the week, whether it’s a colorblind boy seeing color for the first time or an an entire kindergarten class showing up to cheer on their five-year-old classmate at his adoption.
With so much negativity going on, we felt it was nice to take a moment to stop and savor the kindness of strangers and the selfless acts that deserve just as much attention and appreciation.
This week, we’re sharing the viral story of a man who gave his first class seat to make an 88-year-old woman’s “dream” come true, as well as the kindergartener who decides to start selling cookies to help make sure her fellow classmates could afford their lunches.
And did you know that an Forrest Gump actor took over 1,000 people to Disney World as an early holiday present?
You know the best way to spread holiday cheer for all to hear? Sharing feel good stories like these…
Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images
The Happiest Place on Earth
Through his non-profit foundation, CSI star Gary Sinise treated over 1,700 family members of fallen soldiers from over 87 cities to an all-expenses-paid four-day trip to Disney World as an early holiday gift.
“The common thread between all of these kids and all of these family members is that they’ve lost someone,” Sinise, who comes from a family of veterans, told People of his foundation’s annual trip. “They’re grieving and we want to provide a healing opportunity for them by bringing them all together in the same place.”
Eve Yarbrough Photography
The Best Wedding Party
Georgia Special Education teacher Colleen Powell had three very important people in her wedding party: her 10-year-old Dominic May walked her down the aisle (along with her father), while two of her other students, Jay Hurt and Korde Solomon, served as ring bearers.
“I’d always said my boys are going to be in my wedding because they’re just the biggest piece of my heart,” she told TODAY. “They mean as much to me as anyone else that was there.”
Karina Hardee
Cookies for the Class
Katelynn Hardee, 5, put the kind in kindergartner when she sold cookies, cocoa and cider to help over 100 of her elementary school classmates pay off their lunch meal debts before the holidays.
“She started asking me a lot of questions and I just tried to explain to her that sometimes people aren’t as fortunate and that we need to try to be kind and give when we can,” Katelynn’s mom explained to CNN of her daughter’s idea to do a bake sale that raised over $80. They’ve since launched Kiki’s Kindness Project, which will help continue to pay off negative lunch debts in their community.
According to a recent report, over 75 percent of school districts reported they have students with unpaid lunch debts, with the total coming to over $570 million among the 570 districts that shared their findings.
Her principal added, “It goes to show that even one small, kind act from a 5-year-old can mean the difference for someone in their life.”
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Leah Amy, Facebook
First Class Kindess
A Facebook post from Virgin Atlantic flight attendant went viral after it told the story of two passengers, Jack and Violet.
After Jack, who had a first class ticket, formed a connection with Violet, 88, while waiting to board the plane and learned it was her “dream” to sit in first class, he gave her his seat and took her spot in economy, with the flight attendant writing he “literally did it out of the kindness of his own heart, no one asked him too.”
Violet’s reaction to the seat swap? “Her dream has always been to sit at the front, and Jack made that come true,” Leah wrote. “You should of seen her face, when I tucked her in her bed after supper.”
Instagram/PopTV
Pop-Up Proposal
While visiting the Schitt’s Creek pop-up experience in New York, a couple that was inspired by the on-screen love story between David (series creator and star Dan Levy) and Patrick (Noah Reid) got engaged. We love that for them!
Franklin Lakes Police
Super Sibling
Four year-old Isla Glaser ended up saving her mother’s life when she found her mom’s cell phone and called 9-1-1 after she had collapsed in their New Jersey home.
“My mommy falled down, and she can’t talk,” Isla said on the call, later explaining her father was at work and you can hear her calling off the family dogs. “Puppies get out of the way! Puppies get out of the way!”
After emergency responders came, Isla started to take care of her two younger siblings, a two year-old sister and her one-year-old twin brothers, making them breakfast and telling them “mommy was going to be OK,” the Franklin Township Police Department detailed in a release.
Her mom, Haley, was admitted to the hospital and released after four days of treatment.
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E! News returns Monday morning, Jan. 6 at 7 a.m.!