This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Samuel Rencher and Laura Garcia were honored Saturday as East High School's student-elected homecoming king and homecoming queen.
They both have Down syndrome.
Samuel's sister Madeline was unable to be there for her brother's big night at the dance.
As one of University of Utah President David Pershing's student ambassadors, she was part of the U.'s Homecoming Royalty that same night, taking the field during festivities at the game where Utah defeated Cal to remain unbeaten this season.
The Homecoming Royalty is a merit-based scholarship award shared by five students — Madeline Rencher, Lexie Maschoff, Afton Lane, Ryan Wadge and Mary Neville.
It was tough for Madeline to miss Samuel's great moment, said her mother. Not only are they siblings, they are best friends.
Young meets old: Utah teen Emilee Hamilton, 18, has been recognized by the Washington, D.C.-based Caring Institute for her efforts in bringing young folks together with retirement home residents.
Hamilton, founder of Utah Youth Connect, raised $9,000 which helped bring awareness in getting 15,000 young volunteers to regularly visit retirement homes and engage in activities with the residents.
New paint, a little joy: Recently, more than a dozen employees from the Salt Palace Convention Center, South Towne Expo Center and the Salt Lake County Equestrian Park went to South Valley Services' Domestic Violence Shelter in West Jordan, painted the common areas where two artists designed an under-the-sea themed mural.
They also donated more than 100 books for the facility's library.
Anonymous angel: John Brose recently dropped his wife off at the City Creek Center to do some shopping and had arranged to pick her up at the TRAX station on Main Street. But while she was waiting for him, she fainted.
A young woman immediately came to her aid, retrieved her purse and called 911.
She helped revive the woman and made sure she had her purse with her when the paramedics arrived.
Nobody got the young woman's name.
A kind stranger: Elaine Call had injured her arm and made an emergency appointment with an orthopedic specialist in her insurance network, but when she arrived, she found that her charge card was not in her purse. The receptionist phoned her daughter for the card number, but there was no answer.
She walked away dejectedly, thinking she would have to wait for treatment she needed for her pain.
But halfway down the hall, a young man tapped her on the shoulder and said her co-pay had been taken care of. They returned to the desk and he put his charge card down for the pre-paid amount.
Call asked his name, but he just shook his head and said he hoped someone would do that for his mother in the same circumstance.
Corporate generosity: When Roy Feragen's wheelchair was stolen, the 84-year-old Navy veteran wasn't sure what he was going to do.
Then, out of the blue, he got a new portable, motorized wheelchair.
After receiving news of the theft through law enforcement, Overstock.com offered to replace the wheelchair.
Faragen was surprised with the gift, presented at Taylorsville City Hall by Mayor Larry Johnson, Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder and Overstock.com senior vice president Brian Popelka.
More anonymous angels: Carolyn Erickson was on a shopping trip to several stores recently when, at one stop, she realized her purse was missing.
Driving home, she was thinking about everything she needed to do: cancel credit cards, get a new driver license, Social Security and insurance cards.
As she pulled in her driveway, she noticed a stranger's car. A couple who was visiting from Iran spotted her purse in a store parking lot in Sandy. They looked inside the purse, got her address, and drove to her home.
The couple was visiting Salt Lake City from Iran. The name of the young woman, who looked to be in her early 20s, is Rashida.
Lost and found: Richard Sawyer of Myerstown, Pa., says he has come across a WWII veterans enlisted men's pass for Woodrow G. Mathison from Utah. Mathison enlisted Feb. 23, 1943 in Santa Ana, Calif. He was born in 1918 and was married.
Sawyer would like to return the historical memorabilia to a member of Mathison's family.
If you are out there and are interested, you can contact me.