Good News In America: Santa Surfs, The $10 Million Smile Edition

Here’s a fun holiday story to start your week off with a smile: Sleighs and reindeer are passé. The truly cool Santas, the ones leaning full-on into the 21st Century with every bit of holiday gusto they've got, are hover-surfing to get around.

But then again, the Santa spotted gliding across the East River in New York City may just be a blip, and may never fully supplant the reindeer-steering, sleigh-riding, chimney-sliding Santa cherished in the imaginations of generations for his mystical appearance with a bag full of boys every Christmas Eve.

But it was a sight that made New Yorkers pause from the busy business of life and smile.

Why These Employees’ Smiles Were Worth $10M

The smiles flashed by nearly 200 employees of the Maryland development company St. John’s Properties were worth about $10 million. Find out why by reading the full story on Baltimore Patch.

Why This Smiling Woman Splits Sides Across America

A Fort Myers, Florida, woman didn’t just smile, she erupted into the kind of laughter that pushes out tears after she hugged a stranger for performing act of kindness — only he didn’t. Her telling of it is splitting sides all over America. Read the story and watch the video on Fort Myers Patch.

Smiles To Service Men And Women Are In The Mail

Georgia mom Amie Burke was caught off guard when her 8-year-old daughter, Jaida, completed a homeschool assignment in less than two minutes. “It stopped me in my tracks,” she said. A nonprofit group of kids doing acts of kindness blossomed from that simple assignment. Read what they’ve accomplished and about their latest project on Marietta Patch.

This Gift Prompts ‘Broad Band’ Of Smiles

It’s a big day any time Michelle Obama makes a surprise visit to a school, but some Washington, D.C., elementary students got a special treat when the former first lady teamed with daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres to deliver a special gift as part of “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways.” Read the full story on Washington, D.C., Patch.

He Smiled, And We’re Pretty Sure The Dolphin Did, Too

Keenly intelligent and downright adorable, dolphins stole our hearts long before the “Flipper” television show and movie franchises. It was a 2-month-old dolphin now named Winter that stole Jim Savage’s heart when he found her entangled in a crab trap line. He rescued her, and 14 years later, Savage and Winter were reunited. See photos and read what happened on Clearwater Patch.

Bonus: Smile-Worthy Pet Stories On Patch
Video: German Shepherd And Bull Elk Play, from Denver Patch
Firefighters Free Puppy Caught In Fence, from Batavia Patch
Fans Rally For Special-Needs Cocker Spaniel Robbed Of Wheels, from Baldwin Park Patch
Bunny Recreates Viral Duct-Taped Banana Wall Art With Carrot, from Arlington, Virginia, Patch