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Tributes pour in honoring the legacy of ‘America’s favorite judge’ Frank Caprio

“A modern saint, role model. He left a wonderful legacy of love and compassion.”

Tributes pour in honoring legacy of Judge Frank Caprio

If you've perused the Internet at any point over the last decade or so, you've likely come across a video of Judge Frank Caprio. His cheerful disposition, compassion and kindness when ruling on traffic cases quickly made him a viral sensation. People who were fortunate enough to have him as their judge appreciated his approach to doling out consequences.

Recently, Judge Caprio's family announced his passing at the age of 88 from pancreatic cancer on his social media page. The post has been shared over 450K times by people who stood in his courtroom and celebrities alike. He was beloved by many and it didn't take long for tributes to flood in from those who will miss his presence in the world.

Judge Frank Caprio; judge caprio; caught in providence; frank caprio; judge caprio funeral; judge caprio death Judge Frank CaprioScreenshot Judge Caprio's Facebook

Caprio served as a chief judge of the Providence, Rhode Island municipal court, where many of his court cases were televised on Caught in Providence. It was clips from that local show shared to the Internet that catapulted him to social media fame. People couldn't get enough of this kind judge and his witty sense of humor. He was known for offering assistance or reducing fees so dramatically the person on the receiving end would burst into tears from relief.

The judge took his time to hear everyone out and ensure that he provided them with a fair chance to pay their fees without going broke. This is something courtroom attendees and viewers both appreciated about Judge Caprio. It's always said that kindness goes a long way but looking at the tributes to the late judge, it's clear that his kindness was life-changing for some.

One man pens a heartfelt response to the news of Judge Caprio's passing, saying, "Its rare that the passing of one man can be such a tragic loss for humanity, but this is one of those cases. He was a rare, beautiful soul, who always thought before he acted. He was a master at perspective, and always put himself in the other person's shoes. The bench has been missing him since he left, and now America and the rest of the world will miss him. I believe there's a beautiful place in Heaven for such outstanding people. Until we see you again Judge, please keep us safe from up above, the same as you did when you were with us. God bless you, your legacy, and your family. Prayers with all rest in peace sir."

Another says, "I will always remember him for his empathy, compassion, kindness and his true nature of being a human. His philosophy 'Just because you have authority, it does not mean you have to exercise that authority in a bad way.' Frank Caprio was more than a judge—he became a symbol of mercy, warmth and understanding within the justice system. May his soul find peace. May his family find the strength to overcome this loss."

Someone else remembers, "I’ll never forget when he excused the 90-year-old man off a ticket when he was going over the speed limit to bring his special needs 65-year-old son to a medical appointment."

"I went before Judge Caprio for a parking ticket. I was parked in the handicap spot cause I had a kidney stone and couldn't wait to go find a regular spot, I needed to get pain medication fast. He told me he was waiving the fine and if I ever needed to go to the hospital for that again, don't worry about where to park just go inside and come back and he would waive that ticket as well. Anytime I ever needed to. God bless that man!" another shares.

One person sums up Judge Caprio best, saying, "Now this is what it means to live a fulfilling life... This is what it means to make impact and touch people's life... This is what life is all about."

Judge Caprio's son David shares that services will be held for his father in Providence, Rhode Island on August 28 for Calling Hours and August 29 for the Funeral Mass. The younger Caprio says that further details will be available at a later time. In the meantime, if you'd like to honor Judge Caprio's legacy of kindness, the Filomena Fund, named after Judge Caprio's late mother, accepts donations that go towards helping to pay traffic tickets to those in need.

Courtesy of Macy's

Brantley and his snowman

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"Would you like to build a snowman?" If you asked five-year-old Brantley from Texas this question, the answer would be a resounding "Yes!" While it may sound like a simple dream, since Texas doesn't usually see much snow, it seemed like a lofty one for him, even more so because Brantley has a congenital heart disease.

On Dec. 11, 2019, however, the real Macy's Santa and his two elves teamed up with Make-A-Wish to surprise Brantley and his family on his way to Colorado where there was plenty of snow for him to build his very own snowman, fulfilling his wish as part of the Macy's Believe campaign. After a joy-filled plane ride where every passenger got gift bags from Macy's, the family arrived in Breckenridge, Colorado where Santa and his elves helped Brantley build a snowman.

Brantley, Brantley's mom, and Santa marveling at their snowmanAll photos courtesy of Macy's

Brantley, who according to his mom had never actually seen snow, was blown away by the experience.

"Well, I had to build a snowman because snowmen are my favorite," Brantley said in an interview with Summit Daily. "All of it was my favorite part."

This is just one example of the more than 330,000 wishes the nonprofit Make-A-Wish have fulfilled to bring joy to children fighting critical illnesses since its founding 40 years ago. Even though many of the children that Make-A-Wish grants wishes for manage or overcome their illnesses, they often face months, if not years of doctor's visits, hospital stays and uncomfortable treatments. The nonprofit helps these children and their families replace fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope.

It's hardly an outlandish notion — research shows that a wish come true can help increase these children's resiliency and improve their quality of life. Brantley is a prime example.

"This couldn't have come at a better time because we see all the hardships that we went through last year," Brantley's mom Brandi told Summit Daily.

Brantley playing with snowballs

Now more than ever, kids with critical illnesses need hope. Since they're particularly vulnerable to disease, they and their families have had to isolate even more during the pandemic and avoid the people they love most and many of the activities that recharge them. That's why Make-A-Wish is doing everything it can to fulfill wishes in spite of the unprecedented obstacles.

That's where you come in. Macy's has raised over $132 million for Make-A-Wish, and helped grant more than 15,500 wishes since their partnership began in 2003, but they couldn't have done that without the support of everyday people. The crux of that support comes from Macy's Believe Campaign — the longstanding holiday fundraising effort where for every letter to Santa that's written online at Macys.com or dropped off safely at the red Believe mailbox at their stores, Macy's will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish, up to $1 million. New this year, National Believe Day will be expanded to National Believe Week and will provide customers the opportunity to double their donations ($2 per letter, up to an additional $1 million) for a full week from Sunday, Nov. 29 through Saturday, Dec. 5.

There are more ways to support Make-A-Wish besides letter-writing too. If you purchase a $4 Believe bracelet, $2 of each bracelet will be donated to Make-A-Wish through Dec. 31. And for families who are all about the holiday PJs, on Giving Tuesday (Dec. 1), 20 percent of the purchase price of select family pajamas will benefit Make-A-Wish.

Elizabeth living out her wish of being a fashion designer

Additionally, this year's campaign features 6-year-old Elizabeth, a Make-A-Wish child diagnosed with leukemia, whose wish to design a dress recently came true. Thanks to the style experts at Macy's Fashion Office and I.N.C. International Concepts, only at Macy's, Elizabeth had the opportunity to design a colorful floral maxi dress. Elizabeth's exclusive design is now available online at Macys.com and in select Macy's stores. In the spirit of giving back this holiday season, 20 percent of the purchase price of Elizabeth's dress (through Dec. 31) will benefit Make-A-Wish.You can also donate directly to Make-A-Wish via Macy's website.

This holiday season may be a tough one this year, but you can bring joy to children fighting critical illnesses by delivering hope for their wishes to come true.

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A lot of people here are like family to me," Michelle says about Bread for the City — a community nonprofit located in Washington DC that provides local residents with food, clothing, health care, social advocacy, and legal services. And since the pandemic began, the need to support organizations like Bread for the City is greater than ever, which is why Amazon is Delivering Smiles to local charities across the country this holiday season.

Watch the full story:

Amazon is giving back by fulfilling hundreds of AmazonSmile Charity Lists, and donating essential pantry and food items to help organizations like Bread for the City provide to those disproportionately impacted this year.

Visit AmazonSmile Charity Lists to donate directly to a local charity in your community, or simply shop smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price of eligible products to your charity of choice.