Sarah from the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber joins Zack to cover the latest NextGen Networking opportunity, plus a Niles-area Business After Hours, and a February ribbon cutting. Get details, and tickets for the Annual Breakfast & Awards in February, at smrchamber.com.

Sarah from the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber joins Zack to cover the latest NextGen Networking opportunity, plus a Niles-area Business After Hours, and a February ribbon cutting. Get details, and tickets for the Annual Breakfast &amp; Awards in February, at smrchamber.com.

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We're focused on Lake Life, Wine Culture, and Modern Hits for Southwest Michigan.

We're focused on Lake Life, Wine Culture, and Modern Hits for Southwest Michigan.

Chamber Chat from the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber - Tuesday, January 21, 2025

On Monday, dog owners gathered at Louisiana Downs (a horse racing track) for the annual Wiener Dog Charity Races, which raised money to help injured shelter animals across Northwest Louisiana.

The event featured dachshunds racing to the finish line in front of cheering crowds, who also offered up donations to local rescues. Organizers say the money will pay for vital medical care, including physical therapy and other treatments for rescued pets in need.

And along the way, families in the community enjoyed plenty of smiles, both in the stands and on the racetrack. One of the participants, Kyle Duke, who brought his dog, Bean, to the races, explained why the event is such a big hit. “It’s just the atmosphere," Kyle said. "All the people, all the little kids. They like to see the dogs run, everyone wants to pet them, and you have a good time."

On Monday, dog owners gathered at Louisiana Downs (a horse racing track) for the annual <a href="https://www.wafb.com/2026/09/07/wiener-dog-charity-races-raise-money-bossier-city-animal-rescues/">Wiener Dog Charity Races</a>, which raised money to help injured shelter animals across Northwest Louisiana.
The event featured dachshunds racing to the finish line in front of cheering crowds, who also offered up donations to local rescues. Organizers say the money will pay for vital medical care, including physical therapy and other treatments for rescued pets in need.
And along the way, families in the community enjoyed plenty of smiles, both in the stands and on the racetrack. One of the participants, Kyle Duke, who brought his dog, Bean, to the races, explained why the event is such a big hit. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just the atmosphere," Kyle said. "All the people, all the little kids. They like to see the dogs run, everyone wants to pet them, and you have a good time."

Weiner Dog Races Raise Funds for Animal Rescues - Zack's Good News

Neal Augenstein and his family recently had a scare when their family cat named Mike didn't come home for dinner. For two days, Neal searched the neighborhood, walking around with a bag of treats and calling Mike’s name. He even checked near the sewers, but there was no sign of him.

Then Neal remembered something that made his stomach sink. His family had recently gotten rid of three couches — and Neal had a sinking feeling that Mike was in one of the couches when it was taken away to the landfill.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened, which put everyone involved on high alert. Neal feared for the worst, imagining that Mike was somewhere inside a dangerous waste facility, surrounded by machinery and trash.

Luckily, heavy equipment operator Mauricio Martinez spotted Mike trapped on a 15-foot ledge inside a trash pit. Landfill workers positioned a loader bucket under the ledge to scoop him up. And after a brief escape into a storage room, animal control safely rescued Mike and brought him safely home to his family.

"There were so many hands that touched Mike," said Neal. "And there were so many places where things could have gone very badly, but things turned out perfectly, and I'm delighted to have him home. Just an amazingly happy ending, and I'm so thankful to everyone who played a part in it,” he said.

Neal Augenstein and his family recently had a scare when their family cat named Mike didn't come home for dinner. For two days, Neal searched the neighborhood, walking around with a bag of treats and calling Mike&rsquo;s name. He even checked near the sewers, but there was no sign of him.
Then Neal remembered something that made his stomach sink. His family had recently gotten rid of three couches &mdash; and Neal had a sinking feeling that Mike was in one of the couches when it was taken away to the landfill.
Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened, which put everyone involved on high alert. Neal feared for the worst, imagining that Mike was somewhere inside a dangerous waste facility, surrounded by machinery and trash.
Luckily, heavy equipment operator Mauricio Martinez spotted Mike trapped on a 15-foot ledge inside a trash pit. Landfill workers positioned a loader bucket under the ledge to scoop him up. And after a brief escape into a storage room, animal control safely rescued Mike and <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/cat-couch-landfill-family/4149012/">brought him safely home</a> to his family.
"There were so many hands that touched Mike," said Neal. "And there were so many places where things could have gone very badly, but things turned out perfectly, and I'm delighted to have him home. Just an amazingly happy ending, and I'm so thankful to everyone who played a part in it,&rdquo; he said.

Hero Landfill Workers Save a Cat Trapped in a Trash Pit - Zack's Good News

South Florida teenagers Aashrita Kaza and her brother, Anish, designed a charity app called "Pizza for a Purpose" to help local pizzerias, businesses, and individual donors deliver fresh meals directly to neighborhood nonprofit groups.

Aashrita and Anish started the project in 2024 after they spent some time volunteering at food banks and noticed young children showing up for food. The siblings wanted to give a boost to the kids by making it easier for people in the community to make donations.

So they developed an app that streamlines the donation process, allowing anyone to send fresh pizzas from nearby restaurants to charities like The Pantry of Broward. The platform has already resulted in the delivery of over 25,000 pizza slices to families and seniors across Broward County, turning everyday takeout orders into hot, weekly meals for neighbors in need.

“The reaction really warms our hearts," said Aashrita. "Their faces just light up the second they get the pizza. It’s very rewarding because it makes everything we do worth it.

South Florida teenagers Aashrita Kaza and her brother, Anish, designed a charity app called "Pizza for a Purpose" to help local pizzerias, businesses, and individual donors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/miami-proud-pizza-for-a-purpose-ashrita-anish-kaza/">deliver fresh meals</a>&nbsp;directly to neighborhood nonprofit groups.
Aashrita and Anish started the project in 2024 after they spent some time volunteering at food banks and noticed young children showing up for food. The siblings wanted to give a boost to the kids by making it easier for people in the community to make donations.
So they developed an app that streamlines the donation process, allowing anyone to send fresh pizzas from nearby restaurants to charities like The Pantry of Broward. The platform has already resulted in the delivery of over 25,000 pizza slices to families and seniors across Broward County, turning everyday takeout orders into hot, weekly meals for neighbors in need.
&ldquo;The reaction really warms our hearts," said Aashrita. "Their faces just light up the second they get the pizza. It&rsquo;s very rewarding because it makes everything we do worth it.

Chamber Chat from the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber - Tuesday, January 21, 2025

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