Good News: Wife of DWI Victim Creates 'A Band for a Promise'

As a local news organization, Patch covers stories of all kinds, from heartbreaking tragedies to nitty-gritty breakdowns of government and school district issues. But some stories are simply inspiring, often showing that at the heart of our communities is a desire to do good. Here are some of the touching headlines from the past seven days.

Wife of DWI Victim Creates 'A Band For A Promise'

Linda Gambardella is asking for a simple promise. A promise to drive sober.

To those who make that promise, the North Babylon woman is sending out bracelets to those who request them with the words "Make The Right Choice" and "Drive Sober for Dan" imprinted on them. Dan was Gambardella's husband. He was killed in a drunk driving crash in 2011. 

"Since my husband was killed, I just keep seeing it in the paper over and over again," Linda Gambardella said, speaking of DWI-related crashes, "so I basically thought of an idea that so far has seemed to go over quite well."

Annual Bowl Against Breast Cancer Event Set

The Fourth Annual Maurer Foundation’s Flamingo Bowl returns to 300 Long Island in Melville on Sunday, March 3. The event serves to raise much needed funds in the on-going fight against breast cancer. “This is a fun event for the entire family,” explained Maurer Foundation Executive Director Debbie Hecht. “It's also for a great cause that everyone should be concerned about.” Click here for more information on the event.

Ronkonkoma Based Make-A-Wish Chapter Holds Contest

The Suffolk County chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Ronkonkoma is offering a raffle contest for anyone in the community wishing to donate to the non-profit. Suffolk County's Make-A-Wish chapter was founded in 1983, dedicated to fulfilling the childhood dreams of ailing children in Suffolk. Now the chapter is holding a raffle contest that offers two chances at a grand prize. The first prize is a 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, courtesy of Atlantic Auto Mall in Bay Shore. The second winning raffle offers a dream vacation to sunny Florida.

The raffle tickets can be purchased by calling the foundation at (631) 585-WISH, or by filling out a contest form with a check made payable to: Make-A-Wish Foundation of Suffolk County, NY, Inc. 1 Comac Loop, Suite 1A1, Ronkonkoma, NY 11779. Tickets are $10 each or you can purchase a book of six tickets for $50. The drawing will be held at the foundation on May 9, and the winner does not have to be present at the drawing to claim their prize.

Flocking someone doesn't sound like a particularly good thing to do, but in Sayville, it actually is a very beneficial activity. That's because 'flocking' is all about surprising someone with a yard full of cute plastic pink flamingos in the name of charity. For a donation of $25 'flockers' can anonymously deliver a herd of flamingos to the front yard of a neighbor, relative or a random stranger. The 'flocked' recipient is given a note alerting them that they've been flocked and that the flock will remain for 48 hours before migrating to another location. Those 'flocked' are asked to either 'flock' someone in response or make a donation to support the flock migration effort.

Dan McShane Advances in "Jeopardy!" Tournament of Champions

Dan McShane made his return to the "Jeopardy!"podium Monday night, securing a spot in the next round of the Tournament of Champions. The 25-year-old West Islip native took second place in the first-round match, earning him a spot in the semifinals. (McShane did not make it past the semifinals, but he still has taken home more than $80,000 from the show. Not bad!)