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Picture this (and we all have been here): A mother, at a complete loss as to how to calm her daughter, thousands of feet above the ground. The airplane passengers are getting tense and more tense and about to blow. Then, kindness showed it’s beautiful face, in the form of a Southwest flight attendant. Their full story is included below and proves that at times the little things truly are the big things that matter most.

When Baby Won’t Stop Crying, Mom Fears Worst After Flight Attendant Escorts Them to Back of Plane

“I would like to encourage people to be kind to each other. There is so much need out there,”says Betty Copeland, newly elected Mayor of Bridgeville, Pennsylania. “I try to listen and that’s all I can do at this point is listen to them and hope maybe there will be some way of bringing people together to discuss their feelings.”

Here is to working towards more grassroots, community-based movements that put listening and kindness first. You can read all about Betty’s win and what she hopes for here.

After years of deep research, months more studying data, and then applying what they learned, Google discovered that the key to successful teams is having team members who are….
….nice!

Put another way, Google found that psychological safety–in the form of kind, considerate, and collaborative co-workers–made for the most productive, rewarding, and successful workplaces.

Check out this easy to read article about it!

After years of intensive analysis, Google discovers the key to good teamwork is being nice

Love and achievement. Cancer and living. Too cold. So warm. Tears of joy. Probably cry when you read this. Never stop believing. Always give your heart.

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2018/04/17/mary-shertenlieb-boston-marathon-finish

Equal pay for equal effort and experience. The Cascade Cycling Classic has made sports history by offering the same prize purses for men and women. Hooray CCC!

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, better known to his fans as simply Kendrick Lamar, was born June of 1987 in Compton, California. His parents, originally from Chicago, relocated to Compton to avoid the ever-present gang culture in Chicago at that time.

Although Compton is also notorious for its high gang activity, in the case of Lamar his parents may have very well made the right decision, seeing as how success seems to follow him.

Kendrick began his musical journey by writing.  He wrote of his personal observations in the environment around him, in Compton. These observations often included the struggles that he and other young men face, growing up in the inner cities, with the influences of gang violence and crime surrounding them everywhere they turn. Eventually, those very influential and powerful writings became lyrics, and his stories transformed into songs.

Lamar began his rise to fame at the bottom, creating and selling mixtapes, following the same path that many other successful artists have taken in the past. However, many more unsuccessful artists have also taken this same route. For Lamar however, it was simply a matter of ‘when’ as, opposed to ‘if” he would make it, as he truly had a gift that needed to be shared.

First rapping under the name of K.Dot, Lamar pushed through his negative surroundings, disregarded the odds stacked against him, and in the end, made it. This was due to his perseverance, his patience, because he had something to say, and he knew it.

Those that have listened to his lyrics, quickly learned that in order to fully understand and absorb his message, you must first decipher their metaphorical form. Once you do, your mind will begin to open, rapidly  reaching a level that helps you so see many issues in a different light than ever before. This causes you to rethink the world around you.

From 2003 to 2011, Lamar continued writing, performing and creating mixed tapes. Then, “Section .80” happened, which was Lamar’s 1st studio recorded album, released in 2011. The public loved it!

He then followed up with “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” in 2012, his 2^nd studio album, which also had an incredible response from his rapidly growing fan base. This was the beginning of his big break. From that point forward, nothing would be the same.

By 2013, Kendrick Lamar was fast becoming not only one of the greatest hip hop artists alive, he was also beginning his transformation into the spokesman for the #blacklivesmatter movement. His lyrics became the unspoken voice for the African American and minority communities nationwide, as police brutality was on the rise and racial tensions at an all time high. Tempers and division began to boil over into dozens of states, cities, and communities across the nation.

The breaking point, that sparked one of our nation’s largest divides was reached after the unjustified and untimely death of seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin in February of 2012. Making matters even worse, fueling our division even further, was the wrongful acquittal of George Zimmerman, the shooter, in June of 2013.

During the course of the 2-years following Trayvon’s murder, our countries division was fueled out of control, as was the number of young black men being killed at the hands of law enforcement.

Lamar addressed these injustices and wrongful deaths head on, giving the silenced a voice, and the confidence that the affected communities needed to finally say –

“Enough!”

With the ability to approach such controversial issues with his lyrics, Lamar was able to connect with his fans. While he was raising questions, he was also voicing justified concerns regarding racism, inequality, violence and police brutality.

All of which was his main focus behind his 2015 album “To Pimp a Butterfly” which has been referred to as ‘The Album that Hip-Hop has been waiting for’ – The Guardian

In fact, the lyrics and content contained within that album are so profoundly powerful, that teachers have actually utilized it to assist them in discussing race with their students.

Lamar remains highly respected in the fact that throughout his career, he has managed to become successful without following the current trends, or comprising his morals.

All in all, 2015, proved to be monumentally successful in all aspects for Kendrick. Not only were his record sales off the charts, and his songs staying on the charts, he was also named ‘Generational Icon’ by California State Senator, Isadore Hall III.

Hall, also a native of Compton, had the following to say in regards to Mr. Lamar.

“In less than 10-years as a professional artist, Mr. Lamar has gone from a local Compton young boy, to become a multi-platinum billboard chart topping, two-time Grammy-award winning (now 7) musician, an incredible achievement for anyone 27-years old. But, Mr. Lamar has not let his recent fame get the best of him. If you visit Compton, Mr. Lamar is a familiar face in the neighborhood.”

Hall then went on to address the commendable acts that Lamar has carried out, noting his donations of hundreds of thousands of dollars to support local sports, after school and music programs.

Lamar also received kudos for his work with many non-profit organizations and was commended in regards to how he leads by example and is setting a great one for today’s youth and adolescents.

Lamar is responsible for donating $50,000 to his old High School’s music program, and also conducted a 5-stop International Tour in 2014, allowing nearly all proceeds from the tour to go back into the Compton community, as well as to Habitat for Humanity.

Most recently, Lamar has been placed directly under the social media spotlight, ironic considering Kendrick Lamar is one of the few celebrities that have tried to avoid social media the best he can.

However, a recently posted video quickly spread, showing Lamar and one of his biggest fans, Jennifer Phillips, who became a quadriplegic after being in a terrible car accident in 2006.

In the video below you see Kendrick handing Phillips a jacket from his ‘Damn’ Tour. On it was a hand written note, containing an awesome surprise, and an amazing act of kindness.

Through everything, from his childhood stories, mixtapes, all the way to fame, Kendrick never lost sight of his original goal. That goal is to raise awareness to the unspoken controversies that millions suffer from, yet somehow, millions more know nothing about.

He wanted to be able to do this in a manner that the public would respond to positively. Music was his solution, and now after the release of his album ‘DAMN’  Album in April of this year, millions of fans can now say, yes, we are still listening, and have become more intrigued now than ever.

Because Lamar has cut through diversity with his lyrics a thousand times over, it’s nearly impossible to choose just a few examples to reflect just how deeply inspiring his lyrics and intentions are.

Within the below examples, however, you can easily determine that his music is so much more than just a catchy beat with a good hook.

Kendrick Lamar creates music that represents an ongoing struggle within the inner city communities. Struggles and corruption that many, especially main stream media, continue to turn a blind eye to.

“We look so much on color, that we forget about the soul.”

“Promises are broken and more resentment comes alive/Race barriers make inferior of you and I/See, in a perfect world, I’ll choose faith over riches/I’ll choose work over bi**hes/I’ll make schools out of prisons/I’ll take all the religions and put em all in one service/Just to tell em we ain’t s**t, but he’s been perfect, world.

Hail Mary, Jesus and Joseph/The great American flag is wrapped and dragged with explosives/Compulsive disorder, sons and daughters/Barricaded blocks and borders/Look what you taught us.”

 There’s no question about it, Kendrick Lamar has an agenda, and not just for himself either, but also for his fans.With his 7-Grammy wins, being named Billboard’s ‘Greatest Rapper OF ALL TIME” in 2015, one of Time Magazine’s most influential people of 2015 AND being honored with the title of Generational Icon through the California Senate, it’s pretty clear that Lamar’s agenda, is being heard loud and clear, as well as supported, by millions of fans.

Lamar’s kindness and desire to give back doesn’t just end with the above mentions, he is heavily involved in doing anything that he can to make the world a better place.

He is currently an advocate for bettering education, building affordable housing, ending homelessness and assisting with disaster relief.

Just some of the charities that he is regularly involved in include Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, Global Poverty Project and the Get Schooled Foundation.

Clearly, Lamar has the desire, the means, and the right heart to really make some amazing changes where they are needed. It truly is refreshing to see somebody so genuine in wanting to help create a new path and a new way of viewing the world for our next generation.

Kendrick Lamar, stay focused and keep doing what you’re doing because you are amazing at it! Thank you for all of your efforts and contributions, your kindness and generosity will be rewarded back to you, when you need it the most.

Your ability to stand up to social injustices, and also remain so humble at the same time, is something rare, as are you!

“

“What is the purpose of our lives?”

This is a question we all ask ourselves at some point. Some focus on this more than others, but we all share this wide-eyed wonderment in discovering “The Meaning of Life.” We wonder about our life or, possibly, the lives of those we share in our most intimate circle, the people that affect our lives, and our direction, first hand.

Is our purpose to love unconditionally? Become wealthy? Successful? Happy?

To realize true happiness in life one mustn’t chase the idea that money contributes in any way to the endless possibilities of joy. Money is tangible and technically does not exist as far as bearing any value. It is simply an IOU that will assist in acquiring material items, but things come and go. Many material items only make us happy for a short period of time, if that. Material possessions will never truly change one’s life, as much as we think that they can.

Success in your career is a great way to achieve merits within the confinements of a job description. But, what happens if one should take away the office, the career, and the company? Eventually, the happiness that was derived from that success will also disappear.

The key to true happiness is unconditional love. Unadulterated, true, and genuine love, will yield a great career, followed by wealth for your achievements. With unconditional love comes heartfelt and meaningful relationships, with a significant other, friends, family, and kids.

Love, true love, manifests an incredible outlook on life; this outlook alone assists in bringing forth with it an actual incredible life. This manifestation is our proof that like attracts like. What we fear we will ultimately face, and what we love will determine how we live. Amazing right?!

Even more amazing, is the realization that we share this world with everyday mysteries and wonders that we take for granted. Nature reminds us that there is a raw power, much greater than we could ever imagine. Each sunset is a nightly reminder that we are on a magical time frame that we follow, yet we did not create.

In fact, we have become enslaved to time, and enslaved to leading misdirected and mislead lives. Lives filled with distractions that we convince ourselves are important. Lives that are just on the brink of changing forever, based on a path created far before we even existed.

Nature is humbling and reminds us there is so much more than what we have created in our minds. Something so much larger than us that we have often chose to overlook: it’s beauty, power, and symbolism. Nature reminds us that we are a very small part of something on a much grander scale. A scale so grand we would never be able to comprehend it all, not with our earthly minds.

Nature reminds us that what we think we know is simply a speck at the tip of the iceberg, a drop of water within the ocean, and just one star among millions of galaxies. From the highest mountain peak to the deepest oceans known to man, we are part of a much bigger plan. A plan so intricate that until this life is over, we may never comprehend.

Nature tells and shows us what’s important, allowing a sense of purpose, simply by being a part of the same master plan. It shows us that we actually find comfort and accomplishment as humans by being humbled on a daily basis, by that which we do not understand.

We find ourselves in awe of the sunrise, a full moon, and a double rainbow. Yet, we have no idea why —  or do we? Could it be our admiration is derived from feeling small, helpless and not knowing where we will end up next?

When we leave this life, our careers, wealth, and material possessions will carry no value where our next life begins. In order to become timeless, valuable and remembered for our contribution, we must be like nature, which simply exists.

Nature takes on the form of its natural state, with no bells, no whistles or tricks to keep us convinced of its beauty and power. As humans, we must do the same. That being said, what is our natural state? How to we simply exist, and also live? With and by love.

We must learn to master the art in knowing that it’s not what we have in this life, but what we are able to give by uplifting another and another, and choosing to take on the natural form of being genuine.

As humans, our contribution is to display our emotions, compassion and natural spirit within. A spirit that understands empathy, sympathy and what it truly means to give, and also live.

We must become a ‘State of Nature’ from deep within. Discovering this, and accomplishing it, will be the moment that we stop living our mislead lives, and learn that it’s ok to just exist. And from that freedom flows love.

Just out of first grade, enjoying summer riding his bike, building forts with friends, catching lizards with his sisters, and playing Army, Dawson stood on the curb in the heart of downtown Redmond, Oregon, on July 4. “Dad,” Dawson said during the small town Independence Day parade, “In next year’s parade I want to drive a tank with a turret that actually moves and fires.” I scratched my head, scrunched my face, and replied, “Well, we might be able to do something like that but it may not be a full-on tank with an actual weapon. Let’s think about it.”

For the rest of that summer and through his second-grade school year, Dawson had a blast with his friends doing soldier drills like the belly crawl, marching in order, and training on home-made obstacle courses of old tires, sawhorses, and hula hoops. He created “Dawson’s Army Club” so that he and his friends could just hang out as soldier buddies. He read books and watched videos on World War Two, modern and old tanks, and bombers and fighter jets, learning everything he could about the military. He visited an air museum, spent a day at a living history event amid jeeps, armored personnel carriers, and modern day soldiers, and he wrote a picture book on weapons around the world, passionately pursuing his newfound greatness as a young military expert. And I bought him a go-kart.

By the end of June, the go-kart was painted in camouflage colors and had features like any good military dune buggy. The roll cage was adorned with a decommissioned real-life anti-tank weapon, toy M-60 rifles were strapped to the sides, and the homemade compressed-air marshmallow bazooka was ready for action. Dawson and I had built that contraption that now sat in the hands of giddy Army kids who pulled the trigger to launch king-sized sugar puffs into the air.

The pre-parade training-run day arrived. Dawson and his friends, outfitted with camouflage helmets, real military vests, and jungle and desert-rat face paint, were set for the big day. For a year, Dawson and I had worked together so Dawson’s dream of driving a tank in the parade would come true. The go-kart was now the ultimate stealth desert patrol vehicle, as Dawson’s tank was replaced with this Desert Storm dune buggy he loved. Ready to roll, I pulled the starter cord to start the training. The rope handle snapped clean off. It turned out that I, living blithely on the opposite end of the high mechanical aptitude scale, had bought a relatively funky Craigslist vehicle that only through the grace of the go-kart gods had run well for weeks—up until now. The next day I took the buggy to my neighbor, who ran a small engine repair business.

“Dawson has been planning and building and dreaming of driving a military rig in the July 4^th parade, and I have a problem,” I said.

“Don’t worry, we will get it fixed,” replied my neighbor, Daryl. “But, this is a goofy homemade kart. The engine is an irrigation-line motor and this frame was built in someone’s garage.”

Daryl’s employee fixed the cord and made a few other improvements that would help the makeshift machine make it through the parade.

Two days later the kart was back in action for another test drive, and ready for July 4^th. The Army Club boys started it up and took it for spins around the school parking lot, preparing to drive it in the parade line between the rodeo horses and classic cars. They drove it hard until it ran out of gas. After filling the tank back up, I tried and tried to get it started. With no luck and three days to go, I took it back to Daryl—my new hero. Daryl ran a busy shop, with three employees, dozens of lawnmowers, chainsaws, and even a few go karts lined up waiting for a fix. Normally, it would take a few days to get your machine repaired, which didn’t matter much considering the speed of growing grass. But this was different. The parade would not wait and Dawson’s fulfilled dream was on the line.

I didn’t even need to plead with Daryl. A retired airline pilot turned small town business owner, making the right decision in order to take care of people was in his DNA. Generosity flowed through his veins. He said he knew how important it was to get it running and would clean the carburetor and add a fuel filter by tomorrow. The next day it was back in action—until it stalled on its final training mission. One last emergency trip to “Super Daryl” and his mechanic left us with hope and a new throttle spring for the big day.

The go-kart inched along a side road towards the Main Street parade start. Dawson, excited and nervous at the wheel, his three friends, me, and Bubba, another father who had decided at the last minute to walk the route with the boys, slowly moved through the blast-oven heat, as the first real hot day of summer swept in. A huge crowd framed the mile-long route, forming a sea of red, white and blue. Dawson rolled forward, gingerly touching the gas pedal so he would not run into the group in front of him.

Then, it died. I pulled and pulled on the starter cord, but it would not start. Dawson, whose eight-year old heart sank as he sat, motionless, yelled “Dad, it’s not running. Please fix it!” Bubba, who was a mechanic, asked Dawson to put the gas pedal all the way down to let air into the superheated flooded carburetor. The engine roared to life and the group again moved forward, with serendipity now along for the ride. We turned the corner and headed into a roar of waving flags and clapping families.

Every foot of the packed parade route kids yelled out, “How cool! I want to do that!” as the Army Club passed. Dawson gave thumbs up after thumbs up, bazooka marshmallows sailed into the crowd, and the emcee at the judges’ table exclaimed, “I can’t believe these are second graders! What a great Army Club vehicle!” The machine fought its way to the end of the route, threatening to die but never giving up. It was as if Daryl’s gift willed it across the finish line. After 30 minutes of pure joy and pride, Dawson pulled to the curb, climbed out, unsnapped his camouflage helmet, high-fived his friends, Bubba and I, and glowed. I stood back and soaked it all in. His dream had come true.

A few minutes later a motorcycle pulled up. The rider jumped from the bike and took off his helmet. It was the mechanic from Daryl’s shop!

“Right on!” he said, “You did it!”

“Thank you,” I said, with tears in my eyes. “You made my son’s dream come true. Thank you.”

He smiled from ear to ear, snapped a photo with the boys around the rig, climbed back on his bike, and roared away.

In his book The Generosity Path, Mark Ewert explains, “The word generous comes from the Latin generosus, which means ‘noble’, ‘magnanimous.’ Magnanimous in turn comes from the Latin words magnu—‘great’—and animus—‘soul.’ Generosity’s rich meaning implies giving freely, giving more than necessary, and giving more than expected. Generosity ennobles us. It makes us great souls. As an added delight, the prefix ‘gen’ means birth. So, generosity causes something new to be produced.”

Two days after the parade Dawson and I walked up the street to a place that had become more than just a repair shop, gratitude held in our hearts and hands. I gave Daryl a six-pack and Dawson handed him a homemade thank you card—with a drawing of a boy driving a military go-kart. Dawson shook Daryl’s hand and told him thank you. Glowing with quiet pride, Daryl tacked the drawing on to the wall.

“I’m guessing you don’t know this,” he said to me as he pointed to his mechanic. “He walked just behind you the entire parade route, carrying his tool kit, staying real close to keep an eye on you. We figured he’d better do that in case the go-kart died and he was needed on an emergency basis.”

My head spun and heart swelled, hit by their caring. “Thank you,” I said, “Thank you.” Overwhelmed by this act of kindness, Dawson and I turned towards home, as tears again filled my eyes.

There is no way truly to understand the power of a dream and the depth of a gift. But on this July 4^th, a dad, a son, hard work, dedication, and a loving neighbor brought hope to life. Daryl’s giving made one little boy realize that dreams do come true and that people do care. His generosity—his  great soul —spawned kindness that forever ripples out into the universe, like a funky old go-kart with precious cargo aboard that just keeps rolling along.

Today, many will pack up and head to either the lake, park, family cabin, or favorite camping ground. There will be swimming, lots of eating, sunburns, beer, fireworks, more eating and an extended weekend. Sounds amazing right?

The Fourth of July truly feels like the kickoff of the summer and has always been one of my favorite holidays, for as long as I can remember. However, it’s equally as important that we understand and acknowledge the reason behind our celebration and festivities today. In between rounds of food, we must not forget to pay our respects to those that made it possible for us to be an independent country.

How many of us will wholeheartedly think of our troops today? How many of us will hang an American Flag today as a dedication, as opposed to a decoration? How many of us will pay homage to those who cannot be here with us today to celebrate, because they are still continuing to fight for our rights and our freedom?

They are fighting for the same freedoms, in fact, that makes it possible for large groups of Americans to sit around and bash the country and establishments for all of its wrong doings.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I fully understand that there is always room for improvements, and yes, changes do need to be made for the better, in some areas. However, that is not what today is about.

On a larger scale, we’ve got it pretty good here in good ‘Ol’ ‘Merica’, and today, we celebrate our independence and those that fought to obtain it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Today, I am proud of our Country, I am proud of those serving and protecting it as well. Thank you all! I am also proud of our freedom and damn proud to be an American! Not just today, but every day!

Happy Fourth of July, from Hooray Cafe, and remember to be careful!  If you have been drinking, do NOT drive. Get an Uber, taxi, designated driver etc…Don’t jeopardize your freedom celebrating our independence.

Finally, without further ado, I present to you, the BEST 4th-of-July song there is: Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA.” While there is disagreement about whether Springsteen meant this song as a salute or satire, it is a great way to begin today, and a great way to end it as well! You can never go wrong with Springsteen. So, we have a bonus July 4th song of his too! Check out this version of “This Land is Your Land” below as well!

Marshawn Lynch began his football career in 2007 with the Buffalo Bills but became more famously known during his career as a Seattle Seahawks running back.

The term “Beast Mode” quickly became a household name, and “I’m just here so I don’t get fined” will forever be known as one of the best NFL interviews in history, an interview that revealed zero information about the athlete, other than his distaste for the media.

Given a bad rap, along with a $100,000 fine for his refusal to comply with his contract and interview at will, Lynch somehow gained an undeserved ‘bad boy’ reputation. The reality, however, is that Lynch just wanted to play football and also utilize his fame, name, and $30 million net worth to do good for those less fortunate.

Now in 2017, 10-years into his professional career, and now a newly signed member of the Oakland Raiders, Lynch has done just that. Marshawn also has quite an extensive history of doing the right thing, even when the cameras aren’t rolling.

In fact, that’s how he prefers it. He has never done any of his good work for the publicity or to leverage his career in any way.  Lynch does good deeds, uplifts his community and lends a helping hand when he can, simply because he wants to. There is no ulterior motive. He acts simply out of the kindness of his genuine heart.

Somehow, however, most of the positivity that has surrounded Marshawn Lynch throughout his career has gone virtually unreported and unnoticed. Why is that?

There are two factors behind that question, one being that Lynch himself never seeks recognition for his kindness or generosity. The other is that the media can’t produce juicy headlines that stir up controversy when somebody is doing the right thing. So, in turn, they are left to report the negative, or nothing at all.

That is, until now! Here at Hooray Cafe, we prefer to focus on the good, and Marshawn has given us plenty to focus on. 

For the past five years, Marshawn, along with co-founders, Josh Johnson and Marcus Peters, have run the non-profit organization Fam 1st Family which is aimed at improving the lives of children through mentorship and development workshops. Their mission statement is as follows:

“Empowerment and education, aiming to build self-esteem and academic learning skills in underprivileged youth.”

That’s definitely setting the bar high as far as long-term goals go, however, in the five years they have been operating they have met and exceeded that expectation every time.

You will find their online Events Calendar  filled with activities such as their upcoming Talent Show as well as Family Bowling Night. They also have an ongoing funding project through their Fund The Fam Indigogo campaign that is raising money to refurbish a San Francisco bus to transport local youth to workshops around the Bay area.

All in all, it’s a wonderful organization that is doing so much for local youth. You can learn more about this project, as well as how to assist the foundation, by clicking the above links or watching the video below.

When Marshawn isn’t too busy on the field or assisting the local youth in the area, he’s making time to be a good Samaritan as well. Back in 2014, Lynch returned the wallet of a Seattle-area man who dropped it at a gas station that Marshawn was filling up at.  The gentleman, Jason Lynch (ironic yes, but no relation) stated that he must have dropped the wallet in shock when he saw Beast Mode himself pull into the station.

About 10-minutes after leaving, Marshawn Lynch personally went to Jason’s neighborhood to return the wallet, ensuring it made it back in the hands of the owner. To make a good story even better, Marshawn was also on his way to speak at an assembly at the Marysville-Pilchuck High School that day, after they had suffered a deadly shooting a few weeks prior. Marshawn carried out a good deed enroute to performing a good deed.

Lynch also made his presence known in Haiti along with teammates Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril in April of this year, as well as in April, 2016. While spending a week there during each trip, the three managed to teach the local youth fitness skills, assist in building and restoring houses, hospitals, and clinics, and donated supplies to local schools.

That’s just to name a few of the charitable contributions made by the three teammates. They fully intend on making this an annual event, that they always appear to thoroughly enjoy, with the locals looking forward to future visits.

Lynch is also solely responsible for organizing and leading a Bike Rally from Oakland to Berkeley that has gained the hashtag #OaklandRideOut. There was no reason given for the rally, however, there have been a couple of assumptions made. Some believe that this may have partially been a celebration on Lynch’s part, in response to his recent signing on with the Oakland Raiders. Other reports state that it was simply to bring the community together, which definitely appears to have worked.

The 20-mile Rally included Lynch, of course, followed by around 4oo of his “closest” friends, as well as four or five police officers that brought up the rear, with lights flashing and sirens blasting.  Their presence was definitely known. It looks like it everyone had a great time, together.

Most recently, Lynch, again reaching out to local youth in the Oakland area, kicked off the summer by offering free haircuts to those that held high merits in school. He than purchased 2,000 tickets to Raging Waters in San Jose to give out to the local youth.  These tickets will be given away on July 5th and are worth nearly $60,000. When asked about this, Marshawn stated that the cost was well worth it to ensure that the kids were able to have a good time. He was more than happy to be a part of giving them an experience that they might not have had the opportunity to do so, any other way.

Marshawn Lynch is definitely one of the more charitable athletes, and also one of the most misunderstood in the media. Often referred to as rude, or arrogant, the truth is, he’s just there to play ball, and that’s all he has ever wanted to do.

He has also made it very clear that he wants to continue to enrich the lives of the youth growing up in Oakland.  So far, it appears that he has definitely made good on his word by doing so much for his community already.

Great job Marshawn, keep up the amazing work! You are definitely an inspiration and proof that yes, you can make a better future for yourself if you stay focused and determined.

You have also shown us the value in giving back to your community, where it all started for you. Although it will be a big adjustment for many to see you in black and silver instead of the green and blue, because of all of the good that you do we will still have our eye on you this season.

Regardless of what team you play for, or if you even play at all, you will always be Beast Mode, and you will always be remembered for all that you have done and continue to do for so many others.