Many would say outpouring generosity is a characteristic that defines people in southwest Virginia. That shined through the many acts of kindness in 2014. WSLS 10 Anchor Lindsey Ward gives us a look back about the ways communities families and friends came together to make a difference in the lives of others in the last year.
(WSLS 10) - In our Making a Difference series, we've covered stories that ranges from the next generation doing their part to the popularity and charity of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that swept the nation online.
We kicked off 2014 with the Big Brothers Big Sisters "Big For a Day" event, where I got to bring my little, Teagan, on our six o'clock news as a special guest.
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It's an event the non-profit holds every January as part of National Mentoring Month. Organizers say it gives kids an opportunity to make their dreams a reality.
Jessica Scaggs with Big Brothers Big Sisters explained, "Most of the time when kids a doing 'big for a day,' it's something unlike anything they've ever done before. So it seems they're just sorta like taking it all in, and sometimes they are just… they don't really know what to say, but then when you leave it's like they can't stop talking about it."
Moving into February and March, the focus remained on kids as one local girl, Savannah Day, continued her mission to give back to pediatric patients.
The Botetourt County teen collected toys and handed them out to children spending St. Patrick's Day in the hospital. This was just a few months after handing out thousands of toys to patients at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, where she too underwent brain surgery.
"We just hope to put a smile on their face and to show them you can go through this, recover, move on with your life and even give back," Savannah's mom, Michelle said.
As spring approached and prom season got underway, a couple of area high schools made headlines.
After learning Joshua Smith's mom had posted on Facebook about how badly her autistic son wanted to go to prom, Northside senior Bridget Neal made that wish come true by taking Joshua instead of her own boyfriend.
Joshua's mom Kathy expressed her gratitude saying, "Joshua has talked about going to prom for over a year and I've been wondering how I was going to explain how he may or may not get to go, so it was kind of prayer."
And Bridget knew just how special her gesture was.
"My brother has autism also and if I knew he wanted to do something, you know, like this I would want somebody to do that for him," Bridget said.
At nearby Lord Botetourt High School, students voted for two peers with special needs as their prom king and queen. Students said they wanted their message to be heard loud and clear; everyone is welcome at LBHS.
By summer, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge had gone viral on social media, with the WSLS 10 team, celebrities, business and governmental leaders, and even the Marching Virginians taking part.
This unexpected fundraiser resulted in $115 million in donations to fight the disease and support those who suffer with it.
ALS patient Steve Pronko said the awareness brought by the campaign was remarkable.
"The Ice Bucket Challenge has brought awareness, awareness brings money, money brings research, and research finds a cure," Pronko explained.
Also during the summer months, movie crews descended upon the star city to film one our area's greatest stories of triumph.
"Kicked by Grace" tells the amazing story of how former Roanoke City Police Officer Bryan Lawrence overcame injuries from an attack and was able to walk again. The movie's director, Donald Leow, put Lawrence's story into perspective saying, "The fact that he has the same injury as Christopher Reeve and he walks, that's amazing."
In the fall, domestic violence awareness topped headlines, after the release of surveillance video of NFL player Ray Rice hitting his then-fiance in an elevator.
The attention helped fuel support for Dancing with the Valley Stars, a benefit for the Turning Point Women's Shelter. The fundraiser brought in a record amount of more than $200,000.
The year ended on a high note, with WSLS 10 handing over thousands of dollars to 10 non-profits as part of our 3° Guarantee giveaway.