SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — It’s easy to get dragged down by negative news stories. “Doom scrolling” on your phone, only to find one crime after another in your local neighborhoods. Thankfully, the news isn’t always so bad.
Especially in Utah, there are plenty of people who go above and beyond for their community and do good things. Whether that’s a snack table to support a relief fund, saving a senior neighbor from a smoke-filled room, or being there for the son of a fellow officer.
These are the four positive stories from this week to help break up the doom scroll through social media.
Do you have an uplifting positive story you feel would be perfect for the Friday 4? Let us know through our Tipline!
SUGAR HOUSE KIDS RAISE MONEY FOR MAUI THROUGH SNACK TABLE
Children in Sugar House have pulled together to help support victims of the devastating wildfires that leveled towns in Maui, Hawaii. Over the last weekend, the children set up a snack table with funds from the table going to support the Maui Strong Fund, a fund dedicated to providing financial resources to support Maui wildfire victims.
Bri Henke, a mother of one of the kids said they are hoping they can be a help to those in need.
“We may have to, you know, buy some extra inventory hoping that we get a ton of people that want to come out and just give to Maui because they need everything we can give them right now,” said Henke.
The snack table has been ongoing for a couple of years now, with kids selling cherries and cinnamon apples from their neighborhood. Since then, they’ve had a snack table everywhere. This year the kids and their families decided they wanted to find a way to give back.
The kids and their families will be back out again with their snack table this upcoming weekend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 27 on the corner of Hillcrest and Melbourne, just behind Sugar House Park. They say their goal is to raise double the amount of money they did last time.
SOUTH JORDAN WOMAN SAVES SENIOR NEIGHBOR FROM SMOKE-FILLED HOME
A South Jordan woman is being hailed a hero after she rushed into a smoke-filled home to save her senior neighbor. Lauren Smith was enjoying a lazy day at home when she was awoken by the sound of a smoke alarm in her basement apartment.
When she went to investigate, she found the homeowner’s father, Ronald Johnson, inside with smoke quickly filling the room. Smith tried the front door, but it was locked, so she ran through the garage to get into the house. She said she started coughing and went to help Johnson get out of the home safely.
Johnson’s daughter, Leeann Havens said she was glad Smith was home to save her father.
“I came home and found that my house almost burned down,” said Havens. “Thanks to Lauren, everything is okay.”
As for Lauren Smith, she didn’t think twice about helping out.
“I’m just glad I could help and I was home,” Smith said. “It’s my home too, and I was willing to do what it takes to make sure everyone and everything was okay.”
POLICE FORCE FILLS IN TO WALK FALLEN OFFICER’S SON TO SCHOOL
South Salt Lake Police Officer David P. Romrell was tragically killed in the line of duty in November 2018, leaving behind a wife and 4-month-old son. Now, his son Jackson is old enough to attend school, and the South Salt Lake Police Department came to see him off on his first day.
Chief Jack Carruth and several officers from the department escorted Jackson to school as fill-in “dads.”
Romrell was loved by his department with many of his fellow officers saying he was kind, professional, and treated everyone with respect while serving his community. When the opportunity came to pay back and honor the kindness Romrell shared, the South Salt Lake Police Department jumped into action.
They shared photos of several officers walking with Jackson and his mom to school. Jackson also got to sit on one the police motorcycles on his way.
HOBERMAN ARCH EMERGES FROM HISTORY AT SALT LAKE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Salt Lake City officials are bringing back an iconic piece of Utah Olympic history. The Hoberman Arch is being installed as a welcoming piece at the Salt Lake International Airport, which sees millions of passengers per year travel through.
The Hoberman Arch as it is being installed at the Salt Lake International Airport (Tyson Romero/KTVX) 
The Hoberman Arch as it is being installed at the Salt Lake International Airport (Tyson Romero/KTVX) 
The Hoberman Arch as it is being installed at the Salt Lake International Airport (Tyson Romero/KTVX) 
10 Feb 2002: An acrobatic performance at the day 3 medal awards ceremony at the Olympic Medals Plaza during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bahr/Getty Images
The Arch, which was designed by Chuck Hoberman to resemble the human iris, played a big role during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. It served as a curtain and centerpiece for the stage where bands played, and medal ceremonies were held. Following the Olympics, the Arch was displayed at Rice Eccles Stadium until 2013. Pieces of it were stolen in 2014 while the Arch was in storage at a Salt Lake City facility.
