Thank you.

It is the brainchild of medical supply giant Medline who has donated almost a half million dollars in the last five years to provide education and free mammograms to those in need and continues to make contributions every year.

They worked in conjunction with the good people at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, OR. to make this incredible video that has been viewed over seven million times since its debut.

For the complete story visit their site here

For those that have not seen the original video here it is.

The participants really looked like they had a GREAT time making this video.
After watching it we were truly inspired by the effort and made the remix that you see in the sidebar.

It took a number of hours to do it, but it was something that we could do without help.

Well now we are even more inspired and would like to make a city wide response to this video in order to create even more awareness for the cause. This is something that we can’t do without help.

There are several cancer awareness events in the coming weeks sponsored by these organizations.

Cancer Wellness Foundation

Skippy Golf tournament and other festivities that go with it in late April.

Junior Executive Board of American Cancer Society has a big crawfish boil at Riverwalk Stadium on April 10.

Joy to Life has several events including the Joy to Life walk at Crampton Bowl on Saturday, April 17, 2010.

We will be in contact with these organizations during the upcoming week to gauge their response and willingness to participate in the project.

Although it is our intention to film various scenes at several of the events it doesnt have to be limited to ONLY these events.  Anyone who would like to be part of this campaign to increase cancer awareness and show the world what Montgomery is all about is invited to DANCE with us.
If your company or organization would like to receive some well deserved publicity for supporting the cause send an email to Editor@GreatNewsMomtgomery.com and we can discuss including you all in the video.  If there is enough response we would consider making 2 videos.

The video will be edited in late April and be ready to be uploaded to Youtube and other file sharing sites by May the 1st.

Updated April 8

Sometimes you dont have to do anything to inspire others to do it. We are glad that our willingness to participate has contributed to someone else taking the bulls by the horn to promote this concept on a bigger scale.

This is great because they are in a better position than us to do something of this magnitude. Look out for videos being produced by the good people of BIg Dreamz Creative in the upcoming weeks.
They have been providing quality video work to Montgomery charities and nonprofits for around 10 years now.

The Crawfish Boil, the Joy to Life Walk and the Skippy events for the Cancer Wellness Foundation are all Great NEWS Montgomery!

For those interested this full album is available at RiverRegionOnline.

This is the best social media forum for businesses and business people in the River Region.

There is one image that appears in the collage that does not appear in the video montage above. We will be giving away something that is very unique and valuable to one of our readers who spots the difference

A signed copy of Henry Winkler’s book My Dog’s a Scaredy Cat. This is from his best selling Hank Zipzer series and was obtained at the 50th Anniversay Celebration of the Family Guidance Center.

It is signed “You are Great”, Henry Winkler 09.

Just comment below as to which picture on the collage does not appear in the video and also which picture in the video is not on the collage. A winner will be selected at random in about 2 weeks.

A Day of Gratitude

As I was sitting back thinking of what my Mom was going to prepare for “Turkey Day” this year – the only meal of the year that can be eaten, literally guilt free – I also began thinking of the many reasons why we’ve become so fond of this Day of Thanksgiving.

I believe it’s because, along with the usual turkey, stuffing, mashed-potatoes, corn, green beans and Mom’s famous pecan pie (just to name a few of the excellent dishes prepared that day), that we also serve up hefty portions of:

Gratitude – for having a country to appreciate, a family to honor and a loving home to visit over the holidays;
Happiness – from opening our hearts in unison to family, friends and strangers alike;
Pride – not only in who we are now, but also in who we have the potential to become;
Forgiveness – towards others, because we’ve all done something that needs forgiving;
Hope – that we can all share another blessed Thanksgiving dinner together next year;
Faith – In knowing that no matter what obstacles lie before us, we have the God-given inner strength to pull through
Love – to remember that this is the greatest gift you can give mankind.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, these positive feelings come easy, and are a huge reason why this day is so cherished and celebrated. The true test of perpetuation, however, comes after the leftovers are stored away in the refirgerator and the last china dish is returned safely to its proper place in the cupboard.

Although grateful and humbled that we can all appreciate this remarkable day – a day that brings us all closer to the Oneness that we truly are – imagine how quickly we could transform this community, this town, and even our world if we just preserved those positive attitudes in our prevalent minds and transferred them into acts of kindness in our daily lives.

So, on this 388th year of celebrating Thanksgiving, we extend an invitation to you to continue expressing these feelings of “thanksgiving-ness” for more than just one Thursday in November. Let’s see how quickly we can transform the world by sharing one genuine act of kindness at a time – and if we’re successful, we could very well be celebrating this Day of Gratitude year-round.

Debra Dynes
The People of GreatNewsMontgomery.com

It is amazing how popular this blog about all that is Great about Montgomery has become in such a short time, despite the fact that we offer something that the general public doesnt buy in large doses.

Great News is much harder to sell than bad news.

Really?

Think about that for a second because it doesnt seem to make sense. If we asked most of you would you prefer  GREAT NEWS or bad news most people would answer GREAT NEWS. But the reality is that if Great News is what people really bought and supported then there would be so much more of it on the airwaves and on the internet.

Mayor and Carver Basketball non Brawlers

Instead we continue to be barraged with predominantly negative and mind numbing stories from the traditional media. Now realize that we dont knock them because they gotta get paid and they are going to sell what people buy.

The positive side of all this is that GREAT NEWS is worth more because it is harder to get. With that in mind we will continue to report as much positive news about this city as possible. We are also confident that if more and more of you will support Great News then more of it will be reported by the general media.

Carlos at Montgomery  Therapeutic Center gives kids at Sheridan Hts Community Center a ride

Scot Bruce as Elvis wows fan at ASF

Here is a list of   some of the Great people and organizations that have recognized and thanked us for documenting  their work .  We support your causes and efforts by contributing 100 percent complimentary images, videos, links, search engine presence, mentions, stories, and more across multiple media channels  because we think  you are doing Great things for the city and the people in it.

These channels include this site, Facebook, River Region Online, Youtube, AOL and Google Video, Think Big Revolution plus more  and we are adding additional media channels on a regular basis so that people citywide, nationwide and worldwide can know about the positive happenings going on in and around Montgomery, Alabama.

JT and Leanne of Mix 103
Mayor Todd Strange
Montgomery Performing Arts Centre-Allen Sanders/Casey Gunter
Meg Lewis and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival

RSVP Montgomery
River Region Online
Culture Shock
Regina Berry and Bonds
Emerge Montgomery
WAKA Kickball Staff
Nicole Means and Montgomery Spotlight
Kevin Spencer- 2009 International Magician of the Year

Amy Godsoe at the  Alabama Kidney Foundation

Susan Bruchis and The Cancer Wellness Foundation

Montgomery Therapeutic Center

Eric Lewis and Online Montgomery
Sunshine Rotary Club
The Montgomery Humane Society

Dr Walter White and the Family Guidance Center

Henry Winkler -The Fonz-AYYYYY
The Big Ballers Kickball Team

Green Acres Association
Taoist Tai-Chi Society
Michael Briddell

We hope to promote even more GREAT people and organizations in the coming months as our network of  Big Thinkers grows. If you or someone you know would be interested in contributing to this blog please email Editor@GreatNewsMontgomery.com.

Aspiring writers, photographers and viedographers who would like to be published are invited to contact us.

Here are our 19 favorite images for the month of September. For those that wonder what the criteria was, it is this.
“Eddie just likes these pictures alot”

For music to go with slideshow

They are also Great News for Montgomery!

This is a test post that may or may not stay up

Letter from the publisher of RSVP

The holidays are approaching and there is something in the air that makes the girls at RSVP Montgomery absolutely giddy!  In preparing for this issue, we sat around and discussed our traditions and why we love this time of year.  Whether it is the wonderful feast with family at Thanksgiving, our love for Christmas music and shopping, fun and festive Christmas parties, or celebrating the birth of our Savior, we all decided this is definitely the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

Shopping is something most women love to do and we are so fortunate to have the Wynfrey Hotel and Riverchase Galleria in Birmingham.  We loaded up in our cars for a girls’ getaway and in no time, determined that with the abundance of stores, it is a great place to find that perfect gift for anyone on your list.   However, if you can’t make the trip to the Wynfrey Hotel and Galleria, our 12 Crazes of Christmas feature will provide you with plenty of fun holiday activities right here in our beloved river region!  We had a blast reading all of the holiday traditions that were submitted by our readers and have included some of our favorites for your entertainment.

However, with all of the excitement, there are still those that struggle during the holidays due to financial difficulties or the loss of a loved one. The good news is that the human spirit has proven time and time again that when we are most challenged by life’s seemingly darkest hours we rise up and come together to help one another. Christmastime seems to be the time when we get back in touch with old friends and reach out to others that we might not reach out to during the year.  We believe that giving time and love to those hurting can sometimes be the best gift of all.

We want to thank our friends and supporters of RSVP Montgomery and wish you a wonderful holiday season full of love and excitement.  We would like to personally invite you to attend our Christmas Party on December 17 at the new Alley Station downtown.  Check out our website for more information or to sign up for our weekly event blast with all that is hip and happening

With warm regards,
Kim Traff & The Girls

Click Kim Traff and the Girls to sign up for their weekly event newsletter

Nothing but Great Event listings in full color

November events

• Nov 12 – Falcor Wine Dinner at La Jolla
  7:00 P.M. La Jolla in the Shoppes of Eastchase. Please call Peppertree Steaks N’ Wines for details and reservations.  334.271.6328  www.steaksnwines.com
• Nov 12 – A Salute to Our Nation’s Veterans
  7:00 P.M.  Davis Theatre.  334.241.9567 www.montgomery.troy.edu
• Nov 13 – Les Dames Ball
  8:00 P.M. Montgomery Country Club. Private Invitation Only.
• Nov 13 – Amy Grant
  8:00 P.M.  BJCC, Birmingham.  www.ticketmaster.com
• Nov 13 – 15 – Mulberry Historic District Holiday Open House
  Time Varies.  Mulberry District.  One of Montgomery’s most charming historic districts will be open for a magical shopping and dining experience. Contact local shops for more information on the preview night held on Nov 12. 334.265.5035
• Nov 14 – Cosmetic Trunk Show Breakfast at Dillards
  8:00 – 10:00 A.M.  Dillards at EastChase will open up early in the cosmetic area for breakfast from 8:00 – 8:45 A.M. Representatives from various cosmetic lines will be available to talk about new make up trends, tips and answer any questions about cosmetics.  To make a reservation, purchase a
$35 gift card that you can use that morning towards purchases.  You will also receive a free gift.  334.244.6442
• Nov 17 – 19 – Mamma Mia
  7:30 P.M.  Montgomery Performing Arts Centre.  Inspired by the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale of family and friendship unfolds on a Greek island. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings 3 men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. Songs including “Dancing Queen”; “The Winner Takes It All”; “Money, Money, Money” and “Take A Chance on Me” are all featured in this feel-good night of fun and laughter.  334.481.5100 www.mpaconline.org
• Nov 18 – Jonathan Bloom’s CD release party
  7:00 P.M.  AlleyBAR, 166 Commerce Street.  Copies of Green will be available for $10.  334.387.3333  www.alleybarmontgomery.com
• Nov 19 – MACC Business After Hours
  5:00 – 7:00 P.M.  Jackson Hospital.  This popular monthly member event is a great place for networking with Chamber executives and community leaders as well a place to meet potential clients and make important contacts all in a relaxed social environment.  334.240.9496 www.montgomerychamber.com
• Nov 19 – Promenade Concert by Classical Guitarist Robert Gibson
  7:30 P.M.  Goodwyn Auditorium at Auburn Montgomery.  Admission is free and open to the public.  www.aum.edu
• Nov 20 – Riverfront Pub Crawl
  6:00 P.M.  Tickets are $10 in advance through www.rsvp-montgomery.com and $15 day of at the ticket box located at intersection of Commerce/Tallapoosa Street. Includes access to trolley/shuttle, an event schedule with food and drink specials at over a dozen bars, restaurants and venues.  334.649.3030  www.rsvp-montgomery.com Click event for color promo at RSVP homepage
• Nov 20 – ASU Homecoming “Meet the Browns” of Stand Up Comedy
  8:00 P.M.  ASU Acadome. $25 for VIP Reserved and $15 General Admission.  334.229.4551 www.hornethomecoming.com
• Nov 21 – 8th Annual Turkey Burner 5K Run and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk
  Time Varies.  The 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk races start and end at MetroFitness.  Both courses take you through the beautiful Wynridge neighborhood.  Courses are USA Track and Field Certified.  Proceeds will benefit Montgomery Area Food Bank and each participant is asked to bring a can of food to be donated for this cause.  Entry fees vary. 334.396.0040 www.metrofitness.com Click event for full color promo at RSVP homepage
• Nov 21 – VisionWalk: A Cure is in Sight
  9:00 A.M. registration / 10:00 P.M. Walk. Homewood Central Park, 1632 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL.  www.fightblindness.org
• Nov 21 – 12 Savings of Christmas Open House at Peppertree Steaks N’ Wines
  10:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M.  Peppertree Steaks N’ Wines, 8101 Vaughn Road, Peppertree Shopping Center.
  Come see what Peppertree Steaks N’ Wines has in store for the holidays! Enjoy some of Peppertree Steaks N’ Wines favorite recipes, wine sampling and holiday food. They will share delicious samples of cheese, bakery goodies, mulled wine and more! 334.271.6328  www.steaksnwines.com
• Nov 21 – hue studio holiday open house!
  10:00 A.M. – 7:00 P.M.  8155 Vaughn Road, Peppertree Shopping Center. Holiday goodies and cheer & 15% off everything in the store. 334.239.8884  www.huestudioinc.com
• Nov 21 – Holiday Open House at LUNA
  5:00 – 8:00 P.M.  Luna – a tapas restaurant, 8123 Vaughn Road, Peppertree Shopping Center. Enjoy a wine tasting, half-off tapas and selected bottles of Spanish wines.  Acoustic Flashback starts at 8:00 P.M.  334.517.1260
• Nov 21 – Mike Epps
  8:00 P.M.  Montgomery Performing Arts Centre.  Mike Epps has generated quite a buzz among his peers and within the industry for being one of the funniest comedic actors to emerge into the Hollywood scene. Now, as he continues honing his skills for his existing comedic audience, Epps ventures into a new realm of entertainment with his first dramatic role, proving his uninhibited versatility and limitless potential as a crossover talent phenomenon. This December, Epps the actor will become Epps the rapper, coming out with the CD Bad Santa for the Christmas holiday.  334.481.5100 www.mpaconline.org
• Nov 24 – Cigar Smoker Experience at Casa Napoli
  2215 US Hwy 231, Wetumpka. Discover the pleasures of cigar smoking with an expert consultant.  Vendors will showcase cigars on the back deck.  334.567.7777 www.gocasanapoli.com
• Nov 25 – Col Bruce & the Quark Alliance
  10:30 P.M.  Number Sixteen, 5251 Hampstead High St in Hampstead.  $10 in advance and $15 day of show.  334.517.1428  www.no16montgomery.com
• Nov 26 – 86th Annual Turkey Day Classic
  Traditional Rivalry featuring the Alabama State University Hornets of Montgomery against the Tuskegee University Tigers.  Parade, tailgate party, and Hornet walk and 3:00 P.M. game!  www.hornethomecoming.com
• Nov 27 – The Iron Bowl
  1:30 P.M. Don’t miss the Southeast’s biggest college football rivalry featuring the Auburn Tigers against Alabama’s Crimson Tide!
• Nov 27 – Dec 24 – A Christmas Story
  Time Varies.  Alabama Shakespeare Festival.  This play is sure to get you in the mood for Christmas and is a great laugh for all ages!  Admission varies.  www.asf.net
• Nov 28 – Ray Johnston Benefit Concert at AlleyBAR
  9:00 P.M.  AlleyBAR, 166 Commerce Street. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the passion and artistry of the Ray Johnston Band, live onstage at AlleyBAR, for a special benefit show. Tickets are $25 (general admission), and the proceeds will go to benefit Cancer Wellness Foundation and the Dallas Heroes Foundation. VIP accommodations and donation tables are available. Also performing at the gala is Hip Boot Joe. 334.387.3333  www.alleybarmontgomery.com
• Nov 29 – Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring the Rockettes
  7:00 P.M.  BJCC, Birmingham www.ticketmaster.com

Please note that the listing of an event does not constitute sponsorship or endorsement by RSVP Montgomery. The information listed is provided merely as a guide to aid you in your planning. Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in information provided, changes in schedules sometimes occur and it is suggested that you confirm information prior to attending listed events.

Kim Traff , the  RSVP girls, members of the new LIST, and other fans of the magazine were there to socialize, network and check out a preview of  “The River Region Guide for All Things Social “before it hit the streets.

GreatNewsMontgomery.com is pleased to be able to contribute to the magazine and its new feature called “Appraise and Applause”. This feature will present reviews of the hottest shows and concerts in the area.

Since we love video so much, here is one of the the party.

The RSVP team also includes Crystal Luster,Mallory Anderson, and Janine Schoudel.

She hope you enjoyed the video and if we get enough response we will remix this video and even add more pictures to it. Its really up to you to tell us if you want it.

Documenting our first 60 days of catching up with technology, catching up with the community and getting in sync with Montgomery.

(Just upgraded video quality on 12 August so if you liked it the first time its even better now)

To enjoy maximum Montgomery LOVE watch this in full screen HQ view.
We call it GreatNewsVision and JJ shows you  how to activate it:

See bottom of video player and find 2nd box from right.

Click that box and make this video “full screen” and out-o-sight.

Play and click HQ and it becomes

DYN-O-MITE!

A group of student athletes from Carver High School in Montgomery were about to receive  some great news for not participating in this fight.

Rotarian  Eric Lewis invited GreatNewsMontgomery.com to eat breakfast with the club and cover the activities.

Here are the earliest arriving of the bunch

From left to right we got Craig Sword, Joe Rudolph, Dominique Oliver, Ron Smith, Mark Jackson and Derrick Martin.

The fistacuffs drew enough attention when it happened about 6 months ago but check out the  above media link if you need your memory refreshed of how sorry the whole thing turned out. This fight and powerful video footage got lots of media exposure.

We are not talking about just local news, we are talking national news networks and affiliates around the country who couldnt get enough of the action  and thanks to high speed internet and free video hosting sites like YouTube and GoogleVideos the  entire world had access to that footage.

Montrell Holley and coach Jackson

Who knows how many million times that brawl was viewed? Add in comments and reactions from a multitude of everyday people  on  blogs, community posting boards and on Myspace/Facebook pages across the internet and its impossible to calculate  how badly Montgomery’s image  suffered because of the fight.  As far along as Montgomery has come  in terms of economic and social progress,  a video like that makes the work  easier for naysayers  to perpetuate negative racial and southern based stereotypes , after all  “evidence”  and “proof” of those stereotypes are available 24/7 on demand.

Do a basic google search for “carver basketball fight” or “carver basketball brawl” and see how many different results come up.  Page after page of negative publicity.

Now do a search for any of the young men’s name above and compare the results.

So perhaps now some of you all  who get most or all  of your news from Tv  can get an idea of how powerful the internet really is and how bad news can spread on the web faster than wildfire in a west coast forest. Well if bad news can spread so can  Great News it just requires more effort to get started and generally spreads at a slower rate.That where you all come into the picture.

You see folks this is a whole lot bigger than just some knuckleheads displaying poor sportsmanship and exhibiting lack of  self discipline.

It is bigger than just “rewarding” the kids who didnt fight  for doing the right thing.

This is about letting people all over the world see what values Montgomery citizens really respect and promote.  It is a chance for the often misguided youth to view benefits of an alternate and superior  form of behavior.  It is a chance for current  and future community leaders to leverage this recognition in order to hasten positive change in said communities…And it is a chance for those wanting to share Great News about Montgomery with the  world a chance to do so.

We believe it is wise and beneficent to promote the positive side of this story to our readers.

Just as it was wise and beneficent for  Sunrise Rotary  to invite the team to the Capital City Club to receive recognition.

Just as it was wise and beneficent for  Congressman  Bobby Bright and Mayor Todd Strange to attend the meeting, to speak encouraging words to those gathered and to award some very nice looking and meaningful commendations  to the young men.

Just as it would be wise and benficent to share this article and those like it with your own group of readers and listeners.

Of all the pictures took this is the only snippet of  Travaris Williams that exists in our camera. That why he is Missing In Photos

This ballplayer did monster crossover move on the camera.

Cortavious Orum was not able to attend, send us a pic and we will give you some well deserved credit.

If  any of the guys has ONE good shot that he wants to use to impress the ladies send it to editor@greatnewsmontgomery.com and we will post it.

Look we understand you athlete types already got things under control but no matter how well you are doing a little more great publicity wont hurt!!

More pictures will be put up soon. Stayed tuned as this post should have some life.

EXTRA EXTRA

Laugh all about it.

After the meeting  rumors circulated that  Mr Bright, the Mayor and Coach Jackson  held a secret practice in preparation of a breakdancing showdown vs a team from Valley.

Alabama High School Athletic Association ( AHSAA) asst. director Joe Evans is  supposedly going to be one of the judges.

We dont know what the competition  has but judging from the practice footage.

Valley is about to get served