Good News Friday: The NC Zoo was voted the best in the country

The NC Zoo also welcomed a baby antelope. Plus, an NC-developed cancer treatment and community support for a Raleigh Olympian

It’s a good day to have a good day, NC! 

That’s why we’re sending you off into the weekend with our weekly roundup of positive news stories.

Exciting news from NC Zoo

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by North Carolina Zoo (@nczoo)

Our very own North Carolina Zoo topped Newsweek’s list of the 10 best zoos in the country! 

The list, which is part of their Readers’ Choice Awards, was put together by expert panelists and voted on by readers. The honor comes as the Zoo is celebrating its 50th anniversary and undergoing lots of exciting changes. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by North Carolina Zoo (@nczoo)

And while we’re on the topic of exciting changes at the NC Zoo, meet Freya, the zoo’s newest antelope! Freya is a bongo, which is the largest species of forest antelope, native to sub-Saharan Africa. The zoo took to social media on Wednesday to share the news along with some pictures of the baby girl and her mother, Mojito, and they’re almost too cute to handle.

Duke University research helps new cancer treatment secure FDA approval

The clinical trials that allowed the treatment to be approved were conducted by Darell Bigner, a physician and scientist who’s been working at Duke for more than 60 years. 

The drug, called Voranigo, works to slow the growth of a certain type of brain tumor, improving how long a patient can live without the tumor growing and without needing to receive additional treatments. 

The approval marks the first advancement in low-grade brain cancer treatment in more than 20 years. 

Celebrities rally support for NC Olympian

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Front Office Sports (@frontofficesports)

Are you tired of Olympics stories yet? I hope not, because we’re still loving them here at Cardinal & Pine. 

This one centers around Raleigh native Veronica Fraley, who competed in the discus throw in Paris. She put out a social media post saying that despite being an Olympian and NCAA champion, she can’t afford her rent at Vanderbilt University. 

The post garnered nearly 19 million views and caught the attention of a number of public figures, including rapper Flavor Flav and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who both sent Fraley payments to cover her rent. 

The Olympic Games have created a surge of support for underpaid (or in many cases unpaid) athletes and underfunded sports programs, as dozens of public figures have stepped up and pledged their financial support to the men and women representing Team USA. Here’s hoping that this positive momentum keeps up!