83-year-old New Yorker Dave Obelkevich is getting ready to complete his 50th straight NYC Marathon. He started in 1976 and has finished every single one since then. This year, he plans to walk the course with his stepdaughter, and his goal is to finish in under eight hours. In his life, Dave has completed 115 marathons . . . more than 200 ultramarathons . . . and his fastest NYC Marathon came in 1982 at 2 hours and 40 minutes………………. Georgia woman D’Amber Davis got to know a cashier, Katelyn Sparks, during her regular stops at a gas station. So, when D’Amber found out Katelyn was pregnant and unable to raise her baby, D’Amber offered to adopt him, and she helped Katelyn get prenatal care, too. Baby Nolan arrived healthy at 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and D’Amber welcomed him into her family. Katelyn still remains a huge part of Nolan’s life, and the two women have gotten so close that Katelyn now calls D’Amber her big sister. (Here’s a news report.)
A much-loved custodian in Texas is getting an elementary school named after her. Marilyn Hampton has spent 39 years brightening the lives of her students, and now the school district is paying her back with a great honor. The 76-year-old was surprised at a school board meeting when she unrolled a red carpet and discovered the name “Marilyn Hampton Elementary School” printed on it. The new school is scheduled to open next August. (You can watch Marilyn finding out they named a school after her, here.)