A Convenient College Fund

A Convenient College Fund

September 2019   minute read

J’Aime Brown is one lucky baby. Born on July 11 (7/11) at 7:11 p.m. and weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces, c-store chain 7-Eleven couldn’t pass up such a serendipitous birth. The newborn girl received $7,111 toward her college fund from the company—a completely unexpected gift, J’Aime’s mother, Rachel, said. “I was completely shocked,” she said. “I kind of just freaked out.” 7-Eleven also sent the family onesies, diapers and other gifts.

Gone Fishing

Four young kids in Australia decided they wanted to take a road trip from Queensland to New South Wales to go fishing, and they weren’t going to let their ages or the 10-hour drive get in their way. The kids, ranging in age from 10 to 14, stole a vehicle from one of their parents, packed it full of fishing gear and drove nearly 600 miles, stopping for gas along the way. The children eventually were spotted by police, who were concerned over the driver’s age. They were found safe, but they’ll face unspecified charges, according to police.
 

Dance Like No One Is Watching

Stop by Ben’s Shell Service Center and Towing in Orange, Connecticut, and you won’t be hard pressed to find patrons dancing while pumping gas, sipping on a (free) coffee or shooting the breeze with the clerk behind the counter. Owner Ben Santamauro takes pride that his service station is a place that combines old-fashioned amenities, such as a gas-pumping service and a repair shop, with modern twists like a strong social media presence (some posts feature videos of customers dancing). In the warmer months, the service station sells local pizza that customers can bake on-site in a table-top pizza oven. In the colder months, the station operators don’t mind if you sit, enjoy a coffee and warm up—even if you don’t buy a thing.

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