Weekly News Recap: March 26, 2021

Leyna Bloom is Sports Illustrated's first trans woman of colour to grace the cover of the sports magazine's 2021 Swimsuit edition. (Stephane Mahe/Reuters)

A lot of different flowers make a bouquet. -- Islamic Proverb

SEASON 3 OF FUNDRAISING ASK ANYTHING

We have launched our third season of our popular Fundraising Ask Anything Zoom Chats. Our first session of this season concluded earlier today. Our next session will take place on April 23: The triple whammy of a down economy, a depressed price of oil, and a global pandemic has changed how corporations give. In-person events are toast, corporate giving overall is down, and sponsors are asking hard questions. Is sponsorship dead? Or do we just need to change how we look at marketing partnerships? Join us as we hear from sponsorship experts and community investment professionals on what you need to be doing to win sponsors in 2021 and beyond. Why sponsorships are even more important during tough economic times?

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SOME GOOD NEWS

• This Baby Donkey Relaxing in a Hammock Will Make Your Heart Explode (Country Living) "As we say goodbye to summer to welcome fall, we can't help but reflect on some of the hot weather activities that we'll miss throughout the upcoming months. For Leo, an adorable baby donkey from Gôiania, Brazil, it seems he will miss relaxing in a hammock the most."

• ‘Doctor Peyo’: the horse comforting cancer patients in Calais – in pictures (Guardian) This moves my heart. "Peyo and his owner once competed at dressage events. Now they spend their time doing rounds in a French hospital, often staying with sick people until the end."

• Polystyrene waste is everywhere, and it's not biodegradable. Scientists just found a way to break it down. (Phys.org) #HowAwesomeIsThis "Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory and their partners from Clemson University have discovered a green, low-energy process to break down polystyrene, a type of plastic that is widely used in foam packaging materials, disposable food containers, cutlery, and many other applications."

• Incredible Drone Videos of an Erupting Volcano (Kottke.org) Spectacular! "Drone pilot Bjorn Steinbekk took his brand new DJI FPV drone and flew it right into the eruption, capturing this pair of amazing videos. Said Steinbekk of the experience: I really thought I would never see my drone again, but man, this was so thrilling to capture!!!'"

• Krispy Kreme will give you a free doughnut every day this year — if you've been vaccinated (CBS) #Boom. Nice work Krispy Kreme. "In case you needed another reason to get your COVID-19 vaccination, Krispy Kreme is sweetening the deal — it's giving free doughnuts to anyone with proof of vaccination, all year long."

• Skiing toddler's adorable pep talks to herself are 'bringing people joy' (CBC) FERNIE STORY A.Dorable. "Toddlers have a tendency to be a little chatty, so when a dad in Fernie, B.C., wanted to get a glimpse into his three-year-old daughter's thoughts as she manoeuvred down a mountain on her tiny toddler skis, he simply decided to mic her up. To Erich Leidums's surprise, he captured some adorable pep talks little Adia was giving herself while navigating some tight curves and bumpy bumps with remarkable speed near their home in southeastern British Columbia."

• A bobcat takes a break and lounges outside northwest Calgary home (CBC) CALGARY STORY #Eek! "Bobcats frequent Calgary neighbourhoods but rarely do they take a long cat nap in a backyard."

• SpaceX recaps historic Starship landing in 4K as next ship readies for flight (Teslarati) Space is hard but these guys are getting so close. "SpaceX has published a new 4K video recapping Starship’s first intact landing after a high-altitude launch right as the company is preparing the next ship for flight [...]. Unfortunately, while Starship SN10 did land in one piece, the landing was much harder than planned."

TOP TEN STORIES OF THE WEEK

1. Trans woman of colour tops Sports Illustrated swim issue (CBC) "Model Leyna Bloom is the first trans woman of colour to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit issue [...]. Chicago-born Bloom, who is Black and Asian-American, said it's a historic moment for the evolution of social norms about beauty."

2. NHL honours Red Deer teacher with $10,000 technology grant (CBC) RED DEER STORY Nice work Mr. Spink! #TeachersRock "A Red Deer teacher is among the NHL and the NHL Players' Association Most Valuable Teachers this school year, meaning his school's technology budget is $10,000 richer. Jeremy Spink has been teaching at Eastview Middle School in Red Deer for 25 years. He teaches math, science and hockey — and combines his subjects with help from the Edmonton Oilers and a program called Future Goals."

3. K-shaped recovery in store for Alberta, ATB's economic outlook predicts (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Good for some...bad for others. "Alberta's post-pandemic economic recovery could feel like the roaring '20s for higher-wage earners but remain a challenge for those with lower incomes, ATB's newest Alberta Economic Outlook predicts."

4. New documentary a love letter to Edmonton's winter through the eyes of local bike couriers (CBC) EDMONTON STORY I heart Edmonton. "For seven years, through long and bitter winters, Mariah Hoy would take her bicycle out into the icy streets, sometimes through inches of snowfall, delivering packages across downtown Edmonton. Hoy worked as a bike courier, a job that made her part of a small, tight-knit community in Edmonton. Her work is featured in a new local documentary short film called Snow Warrior, which its directors call a love letter to Edmonton's winter."

5. 100 Years of Carnegie Libraries (Philanthropy Roundtable) And, also many libraries in Canada. Thank you Mr. Carnegie. "March 18 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the first of more than a thousand free public libraries in the United States funded through the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish immigrant turned steel magnate—and one of the wealthiest Americans in history. More than 900 of the architect-designed libraries still stand, and have served untold numbers throughout the century."

6. Great COVID-19 bicycle boom expected to keep bike industry on its toes for years to come (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Tell me about it. I had three bikes stolen during COVID. I am trying to get a new one. #WishMeLuck "Some bicycle shops across Canada are so busy with a pandemic-triggered boom in sales and its subsequent backlog that even answering phone calls is a struggle. At Sidesaddle Bike Shop in Vancouver, the message when a customer calls warns that the store gets more than 400 inquiries a day."

7. Facebook Says That People Have Raised Over $5b Through its Donation Tools (Social Media Today) That is a serious raise. "While questions continue to be raised about the role that Facebook now plays in our daily interactive process, and the negative impacts in regards to fake news, misinformation and facilitating the growth of concerning movements, at the other end of the spectrum, Facebook's connective efforts are also yielding positive results, in many ways."

8. Child and adolescent mental health services in high demand at Alberta Children’s Hospital (Global News) CALGARY STORY Ugh. "Academic and social stressors are heavy burdens for high school students. Young people are experiencing anxiety at a growing rate, according to recent statistics from Alberta Health Services."

9. Dr. Robert Murray steps down as President and CEO of GPRC (MyGrandPrairieNow) GRANDE PRAIRIE STORY "After just 15 months in the position, Dr. Robert Murray is out as the President and CEO of Grande Prairie Regional College. In a statement, GPRC reports he has stepped down due to personal reasons."

10. White supremacy and the problem with centering donors’ interests and emotions (NonprofitAF) This has been a very polarizing story. Some of our fundraising colleagues feel this story is right on the money. Others disagree. I leave it for you to decide. For me, I am grateful for the opinions of pundits like Vu Le.

SEVEN LIFE AND CAREER HACKS

1. 3 Ways the Pandemic Has Made the World Better (The Atlantic) Hard as it is to say, there have been some serious silver linings.

2. The Weirdest Shit Out of Silicon Valley in February 2021 (Bold Italic) Um...paired wristbands that pulse to your lovers heartbeat. Ok then.

3. Yes, You Can Do That During the Work Day (Forge) Me: I do laundry.

4. 10 Home office tech gadgets to boost productivity (GadgetFlow) I love the MuteMe illuminated mute button.

5. Interior designers reveal the 10 things worth splurging on in your home office (Insider) I have a couch in my office. I love it.

6. 20 of the Weirdest Inventions From the Past 20 Years (Mental Floss) Biodegradable coffin anyone? Anyone?

7. 5 graphs that help tell the story of the pandemic (CBC) Interactive much? These are great.

TOP THREE GIFTS OF THE WEEK

1. $11M donation to build MU imaging center (Veterinary Practice News) "Patients at the University of Missouri (MU) College of Veterinary Medicine will soon have improved access to care, thanks to a significant estate gift from two former students. Husband and wife alumni Glenn and Nancy Linnerson have donated $11 [million]."

2. $5M donation establishes Bridgewater’s School of Arts and Humanities (Virginia Business) "A 1962 alumna of Bridgewater College has made a $5 million donation that will establish the Bonnie Forrer and John Harvey Rhodes School of Arts and Humanities, named for the donor and her late husband."

3. Landmark $1 Million Donation Helps Preserve Historic Balboa Park Carousel (Times of San Diego) I love carousels. "Friends of Balboa Park reported [...] a landmark donation from longtime benefactor and local philanthropist Dorothea Laub to restore and support the historic Balboa Park Carousel."

LAST WEEK'S MOST POPULAR STORIES

• Grandparents are getting to hug their grandkids for the first time after getting vaccinated (CNN)

• Ikea chooses Saskatoon child's design from thousands of entries to be made into a toy (CBC)

• Calgary post-secondary named top hospitality school in Canada by leading business magazine (CTV)

• Calgary Transit Free Fare Zone naming rights up for grabs (CBC)

• Anonymous donor makes $22-million donation to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation (Chronicle Herald)

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