When the opportunity arises to inspire the next generation, will anyone answer the call?

That is the question children’s advocate Kristina Chäadé Dove must have asked herself when she put out a request for volunteers on social media.

Billy Earl Dade Middle School in Dallas was hosting its annual “Breakfast with Dads” event, but the organizers feared that attendance would be low. Dove’s Facebook post asked if 50 men could take an hour out of their schedules to mentor the boys of this middle school that serves a predominantly lower-income population.

The post was shared and shared again and nearly 600 men responded, exceeding Dove’s wildest expectations and forcing the school to move the event from the cafeteria to the much larger gymnasium.

The surrogate dads didn’t arrive empty-handed; they brought extra ties along to teach the boys an important life skill that every man must have. Stephanie Drenka, a Dallas photographer and blogger who chronicled the event wrote, “the sight of a necktie may forever bring a tear to my eye.” But the ties were just the beginning.

via GIPHY

The 600 men in the room also brought lifetimes of passion, experience, compassion and inspiration to a group of young men who don’t always have a positive male role model in their lives.

The event truly took a community to make it a success. The larger venue required more volunteers to help with setup, check-in, and other logistics. According to Drenka, volunteers from all over “showed up alongside the male mentors to make the event possible.” The event clearly meant as much to the mentors as it did to the students.

“There were so many volunteers, that at times I saw young men huddled in the center of 4-5 mentors. The look of awe- even disbelief- in students’ eyes as they made their way through the crowd of ‘Dads’ was astonishing.”

The normally sardonic Twitter took notice and could not help but share this feel good story.

BEST STORY OF THE DAY: South Dallas middle school started a “Breakfast with Dads” program but many dads couldn’t make it and several students didn't have father figures. The school posted a Facebook request for 50 volunteer fathers… 600 fathers from all backgrounds showed up… pic.twitter.com/y7W9R3qFcs

— Jerica Phillips (@Jerica_Phillips) January 4, 2018

People felt all the feelings.

I am not crying, who's crying…https://t.co/frqskM0Y5X

— Norm (@NIHAustin) January 5, 2018

But mostly they felt inspired.

500 fathers showed up to this "Breakfast with dads" mentor event in Dallas. Amazing! https://t.co/sW9KcLRqBr

— xoNecole (@xonecole) January 9, 2018

So inspiring! Men giving back to be volunteer "dads" for middle school boys. #DadsMatter Hundreds of men show up for Dallas school's 'Breakfast with Dads' event – ABC News – https://t.co/51VjKSZSHU via @ABC

— Briana Gowing (@texasex9) January 9, 2018

In a time when bad news seems to be the only news, it’s easy to forget that there are good men out there. And with enthusiastic role models to guide them, another group of good men will soon be graduating from Billy Earl Dade Middle School.

Yesterday we got a tantalizing glimpse at LEGO’s exciting new Nintendo set, which is set to work in conjunction with the interactive Super Mario LEGO set we told you about a few months ago.

Well, now we have the official announcement of the LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System Building kit, complete with a collection of photos showing us exactly what we’re in for on August 1, when it hits the market.

The LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System! Now you’re playing with power…and bricks​.https://t.co/rC5mjFfJvo pic.twitter.com/ZGgBll0N4w

— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) July 14, 2020

The kit includes a game controller and a retro TV set and it looks amazing.

“Super Mario has been a cherished figure in the gaming world for over thirty years now,” said Maarten Simons, Creative Lead on LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System, the LEGO Group, as part of today’s announcement. “Many adults still fondly remember that first time they saw Mario leap across the small screen, even if the graphics were a lot simpler than they are today. With the LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System, we’re letting them truly indulge in that nostalgia, recreating one of the most-loved consoles of all time so they can see the Super Mario from their childhoods once again – and even to share the experience of gaming in the 1980s with their own children.”

Check out the video trailer and all the awesome images:

Images:

He was an electric engineer and a roboticist, but the thing Grant Imahara will be remembered most for is as a co-host of the beloved science show “Mythbusters.” Imahara’s life was tragically cut short Monday by a brain aneurism at the age of 49.

Imahara also hosted a “Mythbusters” spin-off show for Netflix called “White Rabbit Project” that ran for 10 episodes. There’s no question he packed a lot into his time, as prior to his TV career he worked for Lucasfilm in the THX and Industrial Light and Magic divisions.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Imahara’s career involved working on some of the ‘most iconic characters in screen history’, ranging from R2D2 (he worked on all three Star Wars prequels) and the Energizer Bunny. On Mythbusters, he did everything from skydiving to driving stunt cars.

Everyone that worked with him was flooding social media with tributes.

Mythbusters co-host Adam Savage said on Twitter working with Grant was so much fun.

“I’m at a loss…Grant was truly a brilliant engineer, artist, and performer, but also just such a generous, easygoing, and gentle PERSON.”

I’m at a loss. No words. I’ve been part of two big families with Grant Imahara over the last 22 years. Grant was a truly brilliant engineer, artist and performer, but also just such a generous, easygoing, and gentle PERSON. Working with Grant was so much fun. I’ll miss my friend.

— Adam Savage (@donttrythis) July 14, 2020

His other co-hosts also posted tributes, and other celebrities echoed the gravity of the loss.

I just cannot believe it. I don’t even know what to say. My heart is broken. Goodbye buddy @grantimahara pic.twitter.com/HkLYaBK1dw

— Tory Belleci (@ToryBelleci) July 14, 2020

Somedays I wish I had a time machine. ⁦@ToryBelleci⁩ ⁦@grantimahara⁩ pic.twitter.com/o9FRE2l16W

— Kari Byron (@KariByron) July 13, 2020

pic.twitter.com/HVy812BPt6

— Kari Byron (@KariByron) July 14, 2020

Horrible. He was such a light. https://t.co/OBXSGSsR3x

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) July 14, 2020

A spokesperson for Discovery said they were heartbroken about the news.

“He was an important part of our Discovery family and a really wonderful man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

There was a time when toys were just for kids. When studios collaborated with toy companies to promote blockbuster movies with new toys, they revolve around kid’s movies like Disney and Pixar and superheroes.

Nowadays, neither toys nor superheroes are for kids, and adults are better off than ever. A few months ago, Hasbro teamed up with the people behind Back to the Future for a Delorean Transformer named Gigawatt. Now they’ve turned to an upcoming movie. Top Gun: Maverick was supposed to hit theaters this summer, but COVID derailed that. We have yet to see Tom Cruise reprise his role as the daredevil pilot. But we can play with a Transformer based on it!

According to Nerdist, the Transformer turns onto a fighter jet, and comes with a “screen-inspired miniature motorcycle accessory” The toy also features fold-up wings and a helmet designed to look like Maverick’s gear in the new movie. Most importantly though, it’s ready to be your wingman should you find yourself in need of a beach volleyball partner with “two alternate hands that can hold the included volleyball accessory.”

The box is even on-theme, built to look like an aircraft character.

The Transformer will run you $50 if you can get to it. Hasbro says it’s available for a limited time only!

Better get to it before the pattern is full!

“In 2011, my husband he suffered a traumatic brain injury from a fall from a bicycle.

At first I was told he might not survive, then I was told he might be a vegetable the rest of his life, then we were told that he probably wouldn’t return to the career he loves. He was in a coma for 11 days, a rehab hospital for 14 days, and went through months and months of outpatient therapy.

And then he defied all of those predictions.

Through hard work he returned to his career and he found a love of running. This man who proved everyone wrong now competes in Spartan obstacle course races with our oldest daughter.

I am so proud that he found the strength to return to us.”

– Sharon Cullen

Want to share a story about fatherhood? Email [email protected]

Check out the previous editions of Father Figures here.

It’s no secret that kids are information sponges. They spend every waking moment exploring, experimenting and learning about the world around them, as well as their role in it. Kids learn an enormous amount from their parents and role models at home – they learn how to behave, how to interact with other people, how to cope with stress and so many other aspects of everyday life. For some kids, however, tough home lives mean that they may not have the guidance they need to effectively navigate this complex world. Raymond Nelson, the student support specialist at Memminger Elementary in Downtown Charleston, South Carolina realized that several of his students didn’t have male role models at home. So, he decided, he could be the one to help guide them towards being the best versions of themselves.

Nelson works with many at-risk children, and keeping them on the right path is both an important part of his job and important to him personally. Nelson started a Gentlemen’s Club at his school to instill young boys with a sense of confidence, and, well – to help them act like little gentlemen. Every Wednesday, 60 of Nelson’s 5th graders show up at their elementary school dressed to the nines. Dozens of little tuxedos and suits can be spotted throughout the school, worn by these self-assured young men.

“I was thinking maybe if I have the boys dress for success,” Nelson told WCSC-TV. “When was the last time you saw someone fighting in a tuxedo?”

The Gentlemen’s Club’s motto, “Look good, feel good, do good,” helps instill in young boys just how valuable they are, and just how much their actions matter. The boys learn lessons like how to treat female peers (who, according to some of Nelson’s students, still have cooties), which helps them be more productive members of their school community.

When Nelson was a young boy, his mom encouraged him to join a similar type of club. To this day, Nelson sees the lasting impact those early lessons had on him. Nelson’s program has had such a deep impact on the behavior and self-confidence of his students, he and another man named Kenneth Joyner (a 5th-grade teacher at Nelson’s school) even started a nonprofit organization called “Boys With a Purpose”. The organization helps empower other young boys in the Charleston area to “Look good, feel good, do good” – which, to be honest, is a lifestyle we could all stand to embrace.

When I was a kid and my older brother was about to leave for college, I sold his Nintendo system at a local tag sale. When he found out, he was very upset, because it was his and he wanted to take it to school with him, and also because I only got twenty bucks for it. I was unable to make it up to him at the time, but with some news that just came out, I might be able to soon!

A few months ago, we shared the news of LEGO‘S collaboration with Nintendo for an interactive LEGO Super Mario. Now there’s a full-fledged LEGO Nintendo set that will work with the Super Mario.

LEGO tweeted a video today, with a tantalizing tease.

Are you ready to play like never before? pic.twitter.com/XuNFD7rP0B

— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) July 13, 2020

The reaction to LEGO Super Mario has been incredible,” said Jonathan Bennink, Digital Design Lead on LEGO Super Mario, via ComicBook.com when the full product line was revealed. “Super Mario is such an icon – and fans have been highly anticipating the release of the full details of the product line. Our entire range – from the Starter Course to the Power-Up Packs, through to the Expansion Sets and Character Packs – have been built to bring Super Mario, his friends – and his enemies – to life. We love how creative Nintendo and LEGO fans are, and can’t wait for them to unleash their imaginations in how they interact with Super Mario in the real world.”

Pictures have been leaking of the LEGO set, which will retail for around $250 and include 2,646 pieces. Rumors say both the LEGO Super Mario and the LEGO Nintendo will be available on August 1st.

Just in time for my brother’s birthday!

In a bizarre twist even the most devoted Star Wars fan couldn’t imagine, a Star Wars movie was #1 at the box office this weekend. That isn’t crazy. What is unusual is that it’s a Star Wars movie that was released nearly four decades ago, as “The Empire Strikes Back” was the #1 movie in America this week.

Obviously, this summer is a little unique compared to most, mainly in the fact that the movie industry (like numerous others!) has been completely and utterly wrecked by COVID-19 and shutdowns around the nation. One business that has seen a big jump in biz, however, is drive-in movie theaters.

I’m sitting on top of my van watching empire strikes back with my homies pic.twitter.com/r0zaGoTu5R

— wilbo (@anindoorkid) July 13, 2020

With real movie theaters shut down, and with the need for social distancing, people have been acting like it’s the 1950s again and flocking to drive-in movie theaters. It’s one of the only widespread entertainment options available at the moment, and families are taking advantage of them.

Watching Empire Strikes Back at my local drive-in! pic.twitter.com/4pjQTBI34C

— Let’s Talk Guy Gardner & The Green Lantern Corps (@GuyGardnerTalk) July 13, 2020

Naturally, many of these theaters show classics, such as “The Empire Strikes Back”, “Ghostbusters” and “Jaws”, all of which have seen modest box office returns lately. Even with a final tally that’s literally a fraction of what a normal summer box office winner would bring in, and with the biggest COVID asterisk you can put next to it, it’s still the #1 movie in America. This is the third time for Empire after its original release and the re-release in the late 90s.

The Empire Strikes Back is top of the weekend box office for the first time in 23 years, and will make an estimated $500,000 this weekend pic.twitter.com/HxdYpurfQM

— Star Wars Holocron (@sw_holocron) July 11, 2020

There have been nine Star Wars movies, and I think we can all agree, as reasonable people, that “The Empire Strikes Back” is far and away the best of them. So it’s cool to see it get another brief moment in the spotlight, even as the movie industry crumbles around it.

Ingenuity has been off the charts in recent months. From Nintendo Switch TV frames to dinosaur jungle gyms, there’s never been a better time to roll up your sleeves, hunker down in the garage, and build something that until then had only existed in your imagination.

Meet Hasan Kaval from Izmir, Turkey, the da Vinci of our time.

By now we’ve all surely grown bored with our couches. Hasan, however, has literally taken that lethargy to new heights by turning his sofa into a paraglider, complete with a footstool, lamp, and working TV.

Here you can see some fellas securing the bottom with a custom metal frame.

Hasan paraglides professionally, working as a pilot and instructor. But lately, you can catch him sailing above the Fethiye district in Southwest Turkey on his cherry-red sofa chair, slippers on, a bag of chips and pop in hand, watching some Tom & Jerry.

To initiate flight he just sort of… has his buddies push him off a really high up ledge. It’s bananas. You can watch the couch-glider in action in this video from his YouTube channel.

So rad. Kind of a bummer that “couch surfing” is already a much lamer thing.