Greater Milwaukee Men

We are almost inured at this point, to professional athletes doing crazy, inappropriate, even illegal things, so its always great to see them being leaders off as well as on-field. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has shown to be one of the 'good guys' with things like his It's Aaron  program. This week he showed once again that he is a leader off the field, making a surprise appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' TV show on Monday to thank someone else doing an amazing thing. In a pre-taped video message, Rodgers surprised a teacher from Madison, Wis., who is donating a kidney to her 4-year-old student. Beth Battista is scheduled to donate a kidney to Lyla Carreyn in February. You can watch the segment below.

Valentine's Day is a day we are supposed to declare our love, 'give our heart', to someone and the traditional way to do so is supposed to be to give them gifts. I think a better way to show your love for them and all of mankind is to give to a charity instead. Support a cause that your loved one believes in, do it in their name, and you may be surprised at the response you will get instead of candy or jewelry or even a new smartphone. There are so many I could recommend but if you want again be thoughtful and make it something your love values versus you. I have an even better idea. Today is appropriately National Donor Day, the day when we pledge our hearts to someone is the day when we can all pledge to literally give our organs to someone when we don't need them anymore. Sign up at organdonor.gov or on Wisconsin directly at our state Donor Registry .

National Donate Life Month may have ended, but for four people, and their families, it will never be forgotten. On Friday, April 26 Froedtert Hospital reported that earlier in the month, within a 12-hour period, one deceased organ donor and the transplant team at Froedtert Hospital saved four lives.

Robin Roberts talks to Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook, for an interview airing May 1, 2012 on Good Morning America. Those who know me well know that, though I use Facebook - mainly as an outlet for Well-Met Men and other like-minded posts - I have for a while not been a fan. What is intended to be a way to connect with friends become almost every week less and less about connecting with them and more a focused advertising tool. The one step that changed it was when they took your profile likes and made them actual 'Likes' and filled your screen with posts from that subject (not to mention what everyone is accomplishing in games). But there are good things about Facebook, such as the Causes app, and now they just released a new feature that ups the ante. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced today the addition of a new tool on Facebook that will allow users to share their organ donor status with their friends, and if you aren't currently signed up th...

The Sunday Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had a unique story about the  power of organ donation . In this amazing and heartfelt story, we learn about how Chris Persinger, a 17 year old boy on the verge of becoming a man, lost his life but bey checking the organ donor box on his license gave not only many strangers but amazingly his own sister the gift of health and well-being, for some likely life. The story is almost fantastical - something Hollywood might think up - but entirely true and I highly recommend reading the  full piece  which is extremely well written (it may be one of my favorite pieces I have ever read by JS).

To most Wisconsinites and Packer fans he may play for the 'enemy', but Chicago Bears Defensive Back Charles Tillman is someone we can all look up to. In February he received  Fifth Third Bank’s 2011 Community Leadership Award & Namesake Scholarship as one of three people recognized for their leadership and efforts that have provided meaningful impact in communities  of color. Since 2005, his Charles Tillman Cornerstone Foundation has impacted the lives of countless children in the Chicago area through various programs.