With #10 thru #4 presented in our weekly newsletter, we now present the top 3 stories of 2012.

3. Brazilian Soccer Team Asks Super Fans to Show Their Support in Blood
The Brazilian soccer team EC Vitória’s red and black-striped jerseys are as integral to the team’s identity as the Yankees’ pinstripes. (The team’s nickname is the “Rubro-negro,” or “Red and Blacks,” after all.) But this season, fans looking on from the bleachers may be a little confused to see white gaps where the red part of the equation used to lie. The change, however, has little to do with rebranding the team’s image and everything to do with promoting a good cause.
http://tinyurl.com/cmk6luz
2. Fighting for country — and a cure; Army captain Boyd Melson boxes to raise money for spinal cord research
Boyd Melson, a 2003 Academy graduate, has another reminder of why he fights, only this one is more than a symbol — and the Army captain’s clashes now occur inside a boxing ring. But the truth is, Melson needs no reminders when he steps through the ropes. He knows precisely why he forges ahead, fighting for a cause larger than his own gain or glory.
http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/page/veteransboxing121108/army-captain-boyd-melson-fights-country-cure-spinal-cord-injuries
Boyd Melson has vowed to help Christan Zaccagnino walk again. “I believe I was put here to help cure spinal cord injuries,” he says.

1. Matt Woodrum, Run With Me
SportsCenter tells the inspiring story of Matt Woodrum, an 11 year-old with cerebral palsy, and his incredible desire to compete with his classmates.
http://youtu.be/mrz6HfW8Vjw