6abc looks back at our top feel-good stories of 2023
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- 2023 has been an eventful year here at Action News and across the greater Philadelphia area.
From breaking news to heartfelt moments, this year has surely been one for the books.
As another unforgettable year comes to a close, 6abc is looking back on some of our best feel-good stories.
Check out 6abc's greatest hits from 2023:
Construction worker becomes TikTok sensation while rebuilding portion of I-95
Published June 23, 2023
Crews worked around the clock to get I-95 back up and moving after the highway collapsed in Philadelphia back in June.
One worker, known for his good attitude and humor, became a TikTok sensation for his daily updates.
"I was surprised because I did it to have a little bit of fun, and as that went on I couldn't believe it," said Raul Figueroa.
Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni's daughter steals the show during postgame press conference
Published January 31, 2023
Every Birds fan gets excited to hear Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni break down the latest game. But in this instance, it was his daughter who ended up stealing the show.
Alongside her siblings, Taylor Sirianni did her best to imitate her dad's mannerisms and hand gestures while he was answering questions during the postgame press conference.
It all accumulated in one adorable press conference that would stand out by the end of 2023.
The whole thing was made even better by the fact that toward the end, Taylor spun her hat around and started wearing it backwards.
Man proposes to girlfriend at New Jersey Wawa where they first met
Published March 18, 2023
A lot of life's little moments happen at the local Wawa, whether it's buying a hoagie or catching up with friends.
But for one New Jersey couple, a Saturday Wawa run became a life-changing moment earlier this year.
Joe Samanns popped the question to his longtime girlfriend, Rio Brodeur, at the Wawa where they met! And the best part: it was all caught on video.
Shared slice of pizza and the internet help create an Eagles love connection
Published October 3, 2023
An Eagles love connection took the internet by storm this year after a South Philadelphia woman shared a slice of pizza with a stranger.
Despite knowing little about the stranger but wanting to repay his kindness, Aliza Philips decided to try to track him down the next day.
With the internet's help, Aliza tracked down Aaron Jones after she posted a picture on the Philadelphia Eagles Fan group on Facebook.
"I never expected this to happen in a million years. I thought maybe a couple hundred likes on the post and oh wow this is cool, let's find him. But like it's pretty insane. I have people ready to sponsor our wedding already," said Aliza.
Mystery Phillies fan buys two rounds of beer for people in Section 103
Published October 5, 2023
After an incredible win for the Philadelphia Phillies this year, fans got a little bit luckier when hundreds of people in Section 103 at Citizens Bank Park, got not one, but two rounds of free drinks!
It was all thanks to an anonymous fan.
After all this time, we are still left wondering, "Who?"
"He bought beer from me in the past at an Eagles game, and at this game, he came up to me and saw me. He was like, 'I'm in Section 103, I want everyone to have a beer,'" fan Reginald Duval Saint previously told us.
Germantown Friends School senior goes viral for college acceptance reaction
Published March 1, 2023
Earlier this year, a Philadelphia high school senior went viral for all the right reasons.
Amir Staten from Germantown Friends School got into one of his top choice schools. It was his uplifting reaction upon learning of his acceptance to Morehouse College that had social media buzzing with #BlackBoyJoy.
Staten got the news via email, just as he was dropping his mom off in their Germantown neighborhood.
"I'm like, 'Mom! I just got an email!' She's like, 'Open it, what are you waiting for?'" he recalled. "So, I open the email in the rain, and lo and behold, it says: 'Congratulations you just got into Morehouse!'"
VIDEO: New Jersey troopers rescue missing 4-year-old boy in the woods
Published March 31, 2023
A mother's prayers were answered when New Jersey State Police troopers rescued her child who was lost in the woods.
Bodycam footage showed the troopers locating the 4-year-old boy, who wandered away from his home in Buena Vista, Atlantic County.
The boy wasn't injured and was ok after he was found. His dog, a black labrador retriever, never left his side.
From Ireland to Wildwood: Mystery message in a bottle writer has been found
Published August 25, 2023
This story read like a movie script: a woman wrote a message in a bottle and sent it off to sea in Ireland.
Later, a New Jersey man and his family found the message while picking up trash on the beach in Wildwood.
It took exactly 1,500 days, but one morning, the message sender and the bottle finder finally found each other.
'Miracle' Uber ride in South Jersey leads to driver donating kidney to passenger
Published January 10, 2023
Bill Sumiel needed a kidney and he needed a ride. One fateful day, he secured both.
In 2021, Christiana Hospital arranged for an appointment at a dialysis center and sent an Uber driver to pick Sumiel up.
When Tim Letts arrived, the two instantly struck up a conversation.
"On the car ride I tell him of my dilemma," said Sumiel. "After talking the whole way and slowly becoming friends, Tim tells me that 'I think God must have put you in my car.'"
Letts then offered Sumiel his kidney.
The match was successful and the following operation at Christiana Hospital was a success. The two have become lifelong friends all over a miracle car ride when Sumiel needed it the most.
Meet the Philadelphia business owner who keeps pro athletes riding in style
Published January 11, 2023
The car that Derrick Copes drives around town shows his official business name: "Best Hands Mobile Detailing."
Dealing drugs got him arrested and locked up twice. Prison, though, is where he had an awakening and the time to make a plan surrounding his passion.
"I got into detailing as a way to relieve some stress," he said of his first time detailing a car.
"The first time I detailed a car, I cleaned my personal car. It took like five hours," he said. "And it was the best five hours of my life."
Twenty-one years later, he's gone from washing his own car to washing the cars of the biggest names in Philadelphia. It all happened by word of mouth when a local business owner connected him to the Eagles.
He now goes directly to many of the players, like the 76ers, to take care of their luxury cars.
Everyone here at Action News is thankful for yet another amazing year of bringing you all the latest news, especially the stories that warm your heart. Cheers to 2024!
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