Gerald Gronowski's two-time savior
When Christopher Manacci helped bandage a stranger’s badly wounded hand on a fishing trip in 2003, the nurse practitioner assumed he’d never see him again. But eight years later, Manacci saved the same random stranger’s life. Manacci stopped his car last week to help Gerald Gronowski repair a tire in Chagrin Falls, Ohio; moments later, an out-of-control pickup truck came roaring down the road. The truck rammed into Manacci’s car, which acted as a barrier shielding Gronowski and his son. Only after the crash did Gronowski recognize his two-time savior. “It’s really quite a miracle,” said Manacci.
Throwing with the right foot
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A man with no arms has thrown 18 first pitches at major league baseball games using his right foot, and hopes to do the same at all 30 major league stadiums. Tom Willis, 53, was born without arms, but trained himself to carry out everyday tasks with his feet. He became a motivational speaker, and to draw attention to his message he threw out the first ball at a San Diego Padres game in 2008—beginning his campaign to do the same at each stadium. He threw his latest first pitch in Chicago last week. Willis has so far recorded nine strikes. “Anything less than a strike, and I’ll feel like I did less than I wanted to do,” he said.
In praise of pizza
Pizza is the country’s most popular food, served in more than 60,000 pizza joints. To celebrate America’s love for the cheese-and-tomato pie, Brian Dwyer has opened Pizza Brain in Philadelphia—the world’s first museum dedicated to all things pizza. The 28-year-old has gathered together vintage pizza boxes, magazine covers, and other pizza-related memorabilia in his gallery. Hundreds turned up for opening night—and some slices. “That’s why pizza is so powerful—it’s inherently communal,” Dwyer said. “Pizza is one of the few things everyone can agree on.”
