Ben Kennedy: Living Frugal, Giving Big

Unless you live in Helena, Montana you’re unlikely to have any notion of who Ben Kennedy was. And even if you live in Helena, you may have never knew his name. You might have seen him on the street or in the alleys behind buildings downtown, collecting cans and flattening cardboard boxes for recycling. On Dec. 16, the anniversary date of his birthday, there was a posthumous celebration of Ben Kennedy’s departed life at the Windbag Saloon. The party — crowded and filled with emotion, according to reports — wasn’t just to commemorate a perplexing local figure. It was to honor the passing of a benefactor.

Sweet 16 Brings New Meaning to Generosity

There were more than a hundred gifts carefully laid out on a table at the Hilton Garden Inn, where Megan Ajello was celebrating her Sweet 16 in style. But not one of those gifts was for the birthday girl. Megan was beaming, nonetheless, because she got to donate them all to one of her favorite charities: The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. The extraordinary act of generosity has become fairly commonplace for this teen, who doesn’t let cerebral palsy stop her from being one of the most active volunteers around.