🌞 Aussie vet school donation

As this goes out, some of the TDA team are completing a very soggy and wet 14km race in Sydney. Their companion? The feel good song below! Enjoy.

This weekend has seen history made in the major league baseball league (MLB). That’s right, for the first time ever, there is a female umpire. Jen Pawol, who played softball before making the transition to umpiring, said she “loves” the job and it’s “part of who she is”.

In a statement following the news of her historic appointment, the Major League Baseball Umpires Association said: “This moment represents more than a personal milestone for Jen; it is a groundbreaking step for our profession and for the continued advancement of women in sports.

Look, I can safely say that I’ve never watched a game of baseball in my life…but there’s a first for everything, right?!

Hot air balloons create a visual spectacle as part of the Turkey Culture Route festival, an annual series of events across the country organised by the ministry of culture and tourism.

The city of Helsinki, Finland, has achieved a rare feat: zero traffic deaths in the past year.

It’s the culmination of a multi-year campaign to reduce deaths in the city, including lower speed restrictions in busy areas and more speed cameras.

While some people were injured, local authorities said the number was a significant drop from a peak in the 1980s, when around 1,000 people were hurt in traffic accidents every year.

It’s not even the first time Helsinki has hit this milestone; the city also recorded zero traffic deaths in 2019, too.

What makes this more impressive is how much of the year the city is covered in snow and darkness – not ideal driving conditions by anyone’s standards.

Onnittelut, Helsinki!

(That means congratulations.)

Weekends are for treating yourself…

And what better way than with a bag of FUNDAY’s new limited-edition Milk Bottles?

They’re creamy, chewy, and packed with feel-good vibes, these nostalgic faves are now available in their own supersized 250g pack.

No sugar added, gut-loving prebiotic fibre, and a 5 Health Star Rating – so you can indulge without the crash. Wrapped in a retro milk carton for full throwback energy, it’s the sweet treat you begged for, reimagined the FUNDAY way.

Available exclusively online, while stocks last!

A young sea turtle was released back into the Atlantic Ocean this week, after being rehabilitated by a conservation group in the U.S. state of New York.

Named ‘Elton’, the turtle was found stranded and freezing cold on a beach in the nearby state of Massachusetts in December. He was estimated at around two to five years old.

Elton is part of a critically endangered species, the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. This is the world’s smallest species of sea turtle, only growing to around 60cm in length.

Male Kemp’s ridley turtles typically don’t come ashore unless they’re injured or unwell, which is likely what happened to Elton. Luckily, he was found by a helpful human, who handed him over to the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society.

Elton was released back into the ocean by the Society and a crowd of teenage volunteers from the New York aquarium, many of whom had never seen a turtle in real life before.

Finally, here’s some epic community good news to round out your weekend. Melbourne-based charity ‘Bridge It’ is expanding its life-changing housing program for young people experiencing homelessness. The organisation has secured its second ‘Cocoon’, which will provide long-term housing and wraparound support for young women and gender diverse people aged 16 to 21 who have faced homelessness or been in out-of-home care.

The new site in St Kilda builds on the success of the original Cocoon launched in 2021. Residents will live in their own studio apartments for 12 to 18 months, with support that includes mentoring, life skills, wellness activities and community outings. It is designed to give young people the time and space to recover from trauma and rebuild their lives.

What an incredible initiative!

An Australian businessman and philanthropist has donated $100 million in honour of his late wife to Murdoch University in WA to redevelop its veterinary school.

Ted Powell, who already supports the university through an existing scholarship program, said: “I am absolutely delighted that this gift will support the redevelopment of the Veterinary School. Dee was an animal lover, and I think she’d be really, really proud of this project.”

According to the university, the funds will be used to rebuild a new vet school, allowing for a 50% increase in the number of vet students who can be trained on the premises.

This school at Murdoch University is the state’s only vet school and animal teaching hospital. In accepting the gift, which is understood to be one of the largest received by any Australian university, Vice Chancellor Professor Andrew Deeks said: “[Ted Powell] will leave a legacy for the Western Australian veterinary profession, animal research - and for animals great and small - which will resonate for generations to come.”