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Morning Buzz: 5 things to know for March 13

Posted at 11:16 AM, Mar 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-13 11:17:10-04

1. The love that West Michigan has for fur-babies shined at the 6th annual Paws, Claws and Corks event on Monday night.

Organizers are still working to figure out the final tally, but if it's anything like last year, it's going to be phenomenal.

The fundraiser at DeVos Place was all to help the Humane Society of West Michigan. There were 16 different restaurants with food, as well as wine tastings, and silent and live auctions.

Last year's event raised more than $200,000.

2. As Laughfest continues, there'll be some familiar faces from Fox 17 on the basketball court for Laughsketball.

Radio and TV personalities will go head to head with comedians at the DeltaPlex in Walker.

Garry Frank and Derek Francis will play ,and Annie Szatkowski will be cheering from the sidelines with the dance team. In addition to the basketball game, there will be other activities, including a rubber chicken toss, a dance competition, and a silent auction.

The game is free, doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the game starts at 6.

For more information, head to laughfestgr.org, or stop by Laughfest Central inside the shops at Mo-Div in downtown Grand Rapids.

3. They make cakes and finally get to enjoy one of their own. Happy First Birthday to Nothing Bundt Cakes!

The bakery in Grand Rapids will celebrate with some special deals for customers, while paying it forward to kids in West Michigan.

On Saturday, Nothing Bundt Cakes will donate 20 percent of all its sales to Kids' Food Basket. It will also give the first 100 guests free bundtlets for a year.

The bakery will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

4. If you forget to wear green for St. Patrick's Day, you can always bring some edible greenery to work or your family. Krispy Kreme is bringing back a special treat for Saint Patrick's Day: the Green Doughnut.

It's a green version of its original glazed doughnut for the holiday. The doughnut will be available both Friday and Saturday at participating locations throughout the U.S.

5. The gaming industry is expecting big bets on college basketball.

Americans are estimated to bet $10 billion on March Madness this year, according to the American Gaming Association. Only three percent of that $10 billion is expected to be wagered legally through Nevada's sports books. Nevada is currently the only state in the country to allow single-game betting.

The Gaming Association estimates that gamblers illegally wager at least $150 billion on sports annually.