2021 In Review: Top Stories On WCCO.com That Will Warm Your Heart
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The year 2021 was full of hardships and challenging moments, but there was also a lot of good that happened. Here are some of the top feel-good stories of 2021, starting with the most recent.
Canby Community Bands Together For Seniors
Dec. 24: During the giving season, those living alone could use some extra cheer. In Canby, people stepped up to make sure everyone feels included in the holiday season. People delivered food, gifts, cards and pictures to a senior living home. Around town there's little doubt that the generosity will continue beyond the holidays, a chance for people of all ages to stand up for seniors. Click here for the story.
Memorial Tree Gifted To Family Grieving Lost Son
Dec. 21: The bond between a father and son is a special thing. It shines through in many different ways. And in Wayzata, it's a Christmas tree that brought one man closer to the son he lost. Click here for the story.
WWII Vet's Memorial Tree Centerpiece Of Anoka Celebration
Nov. 22: When a WWII veteran from Minnesota passed away, his daughter and her husband honored him by planting a spruce tree in their front yard. Some years they even put lights on it. After 20 years, it grew 35 feet tall. This year, it became part of Anoka's holiday celebration. Click here for the story.
Baby 'Attacks' Lawmaker During House Committee Zoom
Oct. 29: A Minnesota lawmaker received some viral attention after her baby decided to launch a light-hearted "attack" during a recent meeting. She was speaking as part of a house committee's virtual meeting when her baby decided to make a guest appearance — and then needed all of mom's attention! Click here for the story.
TikTok Sensation, 79, Overwhelmed By Support After Scooter Breaks
Sept. 19: A Minnesota veteran who's become a social media sensation is using his newfound fame to help other veterans. He broke down when he found out a GoFundMe had raised $5,000 to replace his beloved, but broken, mobile scooter. He used some of the funds to help other veterans in need. Click here for story.
Grandma, 102, Recovers From COVID, Attends Both Grandsons' Football Game
Sept. 17: A Breck School and Concordia Academy football game in September was a special one for a fan in the stands. Ann-Hewitt Wakefield, also known as "Grammy Hootie," is 102 years old. She came to watch both of her grandsons play against each other at the Breck stadium -- after recovering from COVID-19. Click here for the story.
70-Year-Old Love Story In Worthington
Aug. 26: WCCO's Liz Collin visited her hometown of Worthington, where a new season at the Memorial Auditorium means the return to a love story that started 70 years ago -- and has been inspiring performers ever since. Click here for the story.
'From Homeless To Happy': St. Paul Man Named Nation's Top Small Hotel Manager
Aug. 3: A St. Paul man is officially the best of the best in his business, and the story behind his success makes it all the more impressive. "He don't leave no one out. I mean, he always have that kind heart, helping hand." Click here for the story.
Waconia Boy With Prosthetic Leg Gets Puppy Born Without Paw
May 9: A Waconia boy who has a prosthetic leg was gifted a puppy without a front right paw. "It gives him the opportunity to tell the kids, 'Oh she's missing a paw, she's like me,' and like it gives him that voice, too, to advocate for himself." Click here for the story.
Touching Touchdown Caught On Camera
April 23: Some northern Minnesota students are looking back on the week they became internet sensations. Their game of football at recess went viral because of a very touching touchdown that was caught on camera. WCCO tracked down the sixth graders from Detroit Lakes who shared some powerful lessons- students and parents can learn from. Click here for the story.
H.S. Hockey Ref Belts Out Nat'l Anthem After Audio Malfunction
March 3: An unexpected moment happened at the beginning of the Orono vs. Mound Westonka high school hockey game in March. A hockey referee decided to take it upon himself to grab a mic and start belting out the national anthem live and on the spot. It happened after an audio malfunction. Click here for the story.
Animatronic Pets Providing Sense Of Companionship To Seniors
Feb. 16: A Twin Cities retirement community has something new to give the people who live there a sense of companionship without the responsibility. Four animatronic pets now call Tradition Independent and Assisted Living in Brooklyn Park home. Click here for the story.
Couple Reunites After 53 Years Apart, Finds Biological Daughter
Feb. 11: Denny and Karen Vinar were teenagers when they fell in love. The couple had a baby when Karen was 15 and gave the little girl up for adoption. Then, they too, were forced to go their separate ways. But more than 50 years later something remarkable happened. Click here for more.
Mpls. Mayor Proclaims 'Barbara Gusse Day' For Grandmother Who Foiled Infant Abduction
Feb. 9: A Twin Cities grandmother is being honored for helping police find a little boy taken from his family. In February, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey proclaimed Feb. 9 "Barbara Gusse Day." Click here for the story.
Lower Sioux Indian Community Gets Ancestral Land Back
Feb. 4: Lower Sioux Indian Community tribal leaders said in February that land with historical significance will be returned to the Community from the State of Minnesota and the Minnesota Historical Society. "It is with a happy heart that we accept the return of our ancestral homelands on behalf of our ancestors who marched to Ft. Snelling, Davenport Iowa, Crow Creek, our relatives forced to scatter to the four winds, and those who gave their lives so we could live." Click here for the story.
