Good News Thursday: Military veteran shares therapy ducks with seniors, USA Blind Men’s Soccer Team holds first ever match, Taylor Swift kicks off US Eras Tour in Arizona
Military veteran shares therapy ducks with seniors
Jeremy Piatt, a military veteran from southern New Jersey, is serving his country in a unique way by sharing his ducks with seniors at an assisted living facility. A victim of PTSD, Piatt raised his “emotional support birds” with his fianceé.
“PTSD is kind of a thorn in a person’s side and I’ve been struggling with work and I believe that this is my calling to share my love with animals with other people,” Piatt said. “My fiancé wanted ducks and we saw ducks at the store and then we started raising them.”
Some of the seniors reminisced on the days when they were brought up on a farm as Piatt let them pet his animals. The ducks were a friendly surprise that brought a smile to every senior’s face.
USA Blind Men’s Soccer Team holds first-ever match
A unique new team debuted in California on Sunday: the USA Blind Men’s Soccer Team. The visually impaired athletes played against Canada, with two sighted goalkeepers.
Blind soccer has been an event in the Paralympics for 19 years, but the 2028 games will be the first time that the US will have a team. “Just like the U.S., Canada is trying to build their first team so it’s great that they’re here and we’re hosting them for this historic match,” said Molly Quin, CEO of USABA.
Alvaro Mora Arellano, a player on the team, started playing just a few years after losing his eyesight as a toddler. “All my family and friends always had the time to play with me. Soccer is my love,” he said. Arellano and his teammates are excited to prepare for the 2028 Paralympics through many competitions coming soon.
Taylor Swift kicks off US Eras Tour in Arizona
Taylor Swift opened her 52-date Eras Tour last weekend with a three-hour performance in Glendale, Arizona. Fans from around the country filled the State Farm Stadium, which happened to be the location of this year’s Super Bowl game.
“I don’t know how to address the way this is making me feel right now,” Swift said during the show. This is her first time on tour since her Reputation Stadium Tour in 2018.
It was a “journey through the musical eras” as Swift sang songs from each one of the albums that span her 17-year career. In total, 44 songs were sung to a crowd of more than 70,000 screaming fans. Swift will continue her tour at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas next week.