1. Don't want to board the plane with all of that loose change? Well don't leave it at home, because Ford International Airport is launching a new program to support charity called "For Great Change."
Here's how it works: there are new containers at the screening lines and the TSA pre-check. When there's spare change in your pockets, you have the option to drop it in those containers. Then, Lake Michigan Credit Union matches that money, and it goes to Mel Trotter Ministries.
Officials at Mel Trotter say this partnership is an example of how we can make a greater impact on our community.
2. Dozens of families, doctors, and nurses gathered for a special picnic to celebrate beating childhood cancer.
Wednesday's picnic was at Douglas Walker Park in Byron Center. Officials at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital were also celebrating the hospital's 25th birthday. More importantly, it was a time for families to come together to look back at their cancer journey.
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month kicks off in September.
3. Patients with brain injuries will now get help through a new state of the art facility in Grand Rapids.
Hope Network just opened its new "Vocation and Life Enrichment Center" on the Beltline in Kent County.
The building includes two spaces for special programs. In one area, patients with neurological disabilities can take part in different activities and get exercise. On the other, the center will have help for people with disabilities or mental health issues find jobs and get coaching.
The center is connected to Hope Network's Neuro Rehabilitation Program through a private road.
4. Looks like Cedar Point isn't the only one with their sights set on breaking records. There's a new record breaking roller coaster coming to Six Flags Great America, and the trill ride isn't just breaking one record, but three!
The ride's name is Max Force, and it will be the fastest launch coaster in North America going from zero to 78 miles per hour in just two seconds.
The ride uses a unique air-powered launching system propelling guests forward. It also features the fastest inversion and highest double inversion of any roller coaster in the world at 175 feet above the ground.
Max Force is scheduled to debut next summer.
5. Are you expecting a baby to arrive in the next couple of weeks, or know someone who is? KFC is running a contest, looking for parents to name their child after the fast food chain's founder.
KFC is launching a $11,000 giveaway to the first baby born on September 9 who's named Harland.
To enter, starting on September 9, parents can submit their name, date, and time of their baby Harland's birth on KFC's site.
The winner will get $11,000 towards college education. It's all to celebrate the 128th birthday of its founder colonel Harland Sanders, and the prize money is a nod to KFC's 11 herbs and spices.
