Random Acts for Nov. 24 paper

Teamwork saves dog in danger on road

I was driving west on Roblin Boulevard when I saw a very strange sight. A very small black dog was running for its life down the middle of the inside lane with traffic in both lanes going at the same pace behind it.

As a dog lover, I had to try to help this obviously terrified little dog. I did a U-turn and did what I could to catch up.

Suddenly all the traffic stopped. I got out of my car and ran to the front of the line of cars where I found a number of people around a van. The dog was under the van, unhurt, but also unco-operative.

Three or four young women, I believe they were students from Oak Park High School, were under the van with the dog and were trying to catch him.

A number of drivers from the other cars had surrounded the van to prevent the dog from running away again.

Eventually one of the young women managed to grab the dog that was squirming and trying to bite her. She held on, and the dog calmed down. They took the dog to the Humane Society.

I want to thank these young women and all the other drivers who took the time and made the effort to save the life of this little dog.

-- Jane Zoutman

Special birthday surprise

IT was my birthday, Oct. 26, and my husband and I went out to lunch, Costco and the casino.

I wore a bracelet that he had given me last Christmas -- I don't wear it often as it is quite dressy. But since we were going out I thought I would wear it.

It wasn't until we got home, and I was changing that I realized my bracelet was missing.

It was not in the car, so I was frantic. I called the restaurant, the casino and then Costco. We had only stopped in there very briefly to drop off a prescription so I thought it would not be there.

Lo and behold some very, very kind person had found it and turned it in. A huge thank-you to that person whomever you were.

-- Linette Bell

Kindness in any direction

MY daughter A.J. was at the cashier's desk in the dollar store on Portage Avenue, when a couple came in frantically looking for a purse. The clerk said it had not been turned in.

A.J. left the store turning left out the door. The couple turned right. A.J. looked down and saw the purse on the ground, picked it up and chased after the couple to return it.

It sounds to me like a case of paying it backwards.

-- Guy Whincup

Byron a great ambassador

My son and I attended a University of Winnipeg volleyball match. We parked in a lot on Furby Street, as did many other people who attended the match.

When we returned, we found that our car had been vandalized and my son's school backpack had been taken. We searched the area for his school work as we assumed it would have been dumped close by, but no luck.

My son was extremely distraught at the prospect of losing all his notes, especially with midterms coming up.

The next day, an area resident, Byron, called the school to report finding the backpack and schoolwork. He found everything strewn on his driveway and instead of just leaving it, he collected it all, found the school's name and made contact.

We are very appreciative of Byron's effort and thoughtfulness. He is a great ambassador for the University of Winnipeg community.

-- Laura Kwiatkowski

Many acts of kindness

I was at my local veterans club, the Rockwood ANAF 303, where I am a volunteer in charge of the entertainment.

I was leaving the unit at 1:30 a.m. after a successful surprise retirement party for a friend, when I got stuck in the snow in the parking lot.

People came out to push me out, not only people from my party but also people who were at another party in the rented hall downstairs.

Then on Nov. 11, I was driving to pick up another lady to go to the Winnipeg Convention Centre Remembrance Day Service. I was dressed in full uniform, and of course, I again got stuck. The plows had plowed Pembina Highway, but not the entrances to the feeder roads.

I tried and tried to get my car out with no luck, when a very nice young fellow on his way to the service at the legislature ran across the street and worked very hard until he got me going. Thank goodness he didn't miss his bus.

With that young man's help, we made it to our service and were able to march at the end of it, which leads to the top act of kindness and remembrance which I will never forget.

As I was leaving the convention centre to drive back to the unit to get on with our Remembrance Day activities, a woman -- I'm not sure where she was from, but I think maybe Holland -- asked to shake my hand. She then handed me a rose. I only had time for a quick thank you and she was gone.

Then I read the note on the rose: "I will remember, Nov. 11, 2012," and on the inside, "Thank you for helping to save my family."

That's what Remembrance Day is all about, and that makes all the volunteering worthwhile.

Thank you.

-- Marjorie Miller

Random Acts a day brightener

This part of the newspaper always brightens my day, and I always have done random acts of kindness in our city.

I experienced random acts of kindness when the recent snowstorm hit. I was going to work around three in the morning and was picking up my co-worker with my sister. We got stuck in the middle of St. Matthews Avenue and Dominion Street, Greenwood Street and at the end of Greenwood street going onto Portage Avenue.

These three times we got stuck, drivers and pedestrians stopped to helped us push our vehicle.

I want to thank you for your time for helping us get to work. I also want to thank everyone who helped out push vehicles out of the snow during this storm.

Thank you so much.

-- Joyce Chan

Truly amazing people in Winnipeg

It's not often that a person is the beneficiary of two remarkable acts of kindness within the space of three months. This, however, is the case for me.

I was leaving a friend's Queenston Street house when I tripped and fell in the middle of the road. Immediately, people rushed to my rescue.

Besides my two friends, there was a cyclist who got off her bike, squatted beside me and insisted that I stay put, talking quietly with me until the paramedics arrived.

There was the kind stranger in a black car who stopped and offered me a towel to put on my bleeding head and another women who called the paramedics.

I thank them profusely for their assistance.

The second incident was more recent. It was a dull, rainy day with a blustery north wind. Nevertheless, I went out to the Bulk Barn at Kenaston Common.

As I stowed my purchases in the trunk of the car, a gust of wind sent the lid crashing down on my head. Stunned and copiously bleeding, I rushed back to the Bulk Barn for help.

The staff there was absolutely wonderful. They brought me a chair, phoned the paramedics, cleaned the blood off my face and glasses and held a cold compress to my head to staunch the bleeding.

They insisted that I not leave until I felt able to drive home or to take a taxi.

To my amazement, Darcy Cameron, a friend from my working days, was going through the checkout near where I was sitting. She immediately said, "I'll take care of you," and Elaine Smith, a complete stranger, who was behind her in line said, "I can help."

These two caring women drove me and my car home and made sure I got safely inside.

I am so grateful to Adam and his staff at the Bulk Barn and to Darcy and Elaine for all their help that day. There are indeed truly amazing people in Winnipeg.

-- Carol McGonigal

Help for the big wipe-out

To the man in the yellow truck and the couple whose Cambridge Avenue house I fell in front of:

Thank you so much for running to my rescue and your offers of kindness when I took my big wipe-out.

I'm sure it was a spectacle to behold! Luckily, all I suffered was a scraped knee and a bruised ego. I so appreciate your concern.

We're very lucky to have wonderful people such as yourselves in this city.

-- Kristin MacLean

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 24, 2012 G11