1. Dad Attracts Diners from Across the Globe After Building $22k Greek Taverna–in His Backyard
Mr. Panikos Panayiotou is attracting diners from all over the world after the restaurant he built in his backyard became a local hotspot.
Forking out tens of thousands to bring a slice of the Mediterranean to the industrial heartlands of Walsall, England, all the net proceeds from his delicious Greek menu go to charity.
It’s called the Lakis Greek Taverna, and despite sitting literally in the 44-year-old’s yard, it’s fully compliant with restaurant regulations.
“Luckily the neighbors don’t mind, they are fantastic on both sides,” Panayiotou explains. “We usually do a street lunch for the locals. They’re great and they love that we’re raising for local causes. We’ve got a lot of support from our local area.”
Panikos decided to construct his 861-square-foot restaurant in memory of his late father Lakis who died from small-cell lung cancer in 2012.
Lakis, who owned a fish and chip shop, had started to build his own taverna at his village in Cyprus but passed away before it could be completed. Panayiotou said he wanted to honor his dad’s memory by finishing the job he had started—all while raising money for good causes.
2. Michael Bloomberg Donates $1 Billion to Provide Free Tuition for Future Doctors at Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced Monday a new $1 billion gift to make medical school free at Johns Hopkins University for a majority of students, while also increasing financial aid for students at its schools of nursing and public health.
The announcement was made in Michael R. Bloomberg’s (JHU ’64) annual letter on philanthropy in the Bloomberg Philanthropies 2023-2024 Annual Report released today.
Currently, nearly two-thirds of all students seeking an M.D. from Johns Hopkins qualify for financial aid, and future doctors graduate from Hopkins with an average total student loan debt of approximately $104,000.
Beginning in the fall of 2024, Johns Hopkins will offer free tuition for medical students coming from families earning less than $300,000 a year, which represents about 95% of all Americans. On top of tuition, Johns Hopkins will cover living expenses and fees for students from families who earn less than $175,000 a year.
“As the U.S. struggles to recover from a disturbing decline in life expectancy, our country faces a serious shortage of doctors, nurses, and public health professionals—and yet, the high cost of medical, nursing, and graduate school too often bars students from enrolling,” said Mr. Bloomberg.
“By reducing the financial barriers to these essential fields, we can free more students to pursue careers they’re passionate about—and enable them to serve more of the families and communities who need them the most.”
3. 75-year-old Woman Wins $5 Million Scratch-off After Beating Breast Cancer
A great-grandmother in Pennsylvania recently won $5 million playing scratch lottery cards, and the timing couldn’t be better.
Having just successfully beat breast cancer days before her birthday, Donna Osborne picked the winning scratch card after having to cancel a flight because of consistent delays.
“I don’t know what I’d do with myself, I have to keep moving,” Osborne said, according to the release from the state lottery. “I think I’ll invest some of the prize, sure, but then go to Alaska!”
Arriving at the airport with her daughter in time for their flight down to Florida, the plane was continuously delayed—so many times that Osbourne decided to change plans, leaving her daughter to go on alone.
Returning home, she stopped at a Speedway and picked out the first scratch card in the display box—exactly as she had done dozens of times throughout her life. Osbourne couldn’t believe her eyes as the scratch circles revealed the prize characters.
“I went back into the store and said, ‘Can you please check this? Is it right or wrong?’” Osborne said. “Well, the clerk said, ‘It’s right!’”
She called her daughter, still at the airport, to share the good news, though she hardly believed her mother was telling the truth.
