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It's time to celebrate. This is Iowa is turning 10 years old. Outstanding for *** decade. We've showcased hundreds of Iowa characters. He's holding my hand. We've been there to capture memorable moments and along the way, showcased our state's beauties. Isn't about the speed. I drove the whole way and experienced life's highest highs and the lowest of lows. We miss you, Matthew, we miss you *** lot. Hundreds of stories with thousands of moments. It's time to celebrate you. This is our state. This is Iowa. *** decade of stories. KCC. I presents 10 years worth of celebrating the people and moments that make our state special. This is Iowa decade of stories. Those of us who have grown up in Iowa, love this state, the traditions, the communities and especially the people in November of 2013. I started *** long term project to define what it means to say. This is Iowa. And since then, I've shared more than 200 stories that have helped us all laugh and cry and just appreciate the state. And we've learned that Iowa is full of characters like the guy in our very first. This is Iowa. Jake *** Madrid seventh grader with Down Syndrome who was so excited after scoring *** touchdown and getting carried off by the seniors, he broke out the moves. We've met *** wheelchair bound trail cleaner, *** kaleidoscope making Santa and *** 97 year old radio star Perry with the national weather service forecast headlining. Murray's spot on the dial. We've met fanatic Hawk fans and I say, oh, you think that's *** nice shirt? Bam. Look at this. That just happened. Who can't wait to show off all their tats? And we met Fern, the 100 year old who started *** weekly pool party for every kid in Osceola. It's so good to see all of you. We met Corey the Valley senior with *** knack for every name in his huge high school and the guy who circles Pella Square collecting sympathy signatures before every funeral. Yes. We've met *** diabetes detecting dog and *** bacon eating pig. But most this is Iowa characters are remarkable. People like Iowa's last Holocaust Survivor and *** kindergartner will never forget in the land of crayons. I like saying that some kids think they're Picassos. Others are wannabe Hemingway. I see. Then there's the six year old who really is *** music prodigy. His secret came out the first day of kindergarten when he walked into chapel with the whole student body. Oh, he just walk up, which is about the same time. Ok. Something else came out. Mark Shabazz's classmates at Joshua Christian Academy said, the pledge and J Mark said, let's rock. Remember it's *** gift. He's *** kindergartner. This can be tough. This is talent. This started when he was in diapers. If it made noise, he would just beat on it. And then we brought him *** drum set, broke it, brought him another drum set, broke it and then it continued. Now that he's six, he doesn't just play drums every day for chapel. He also really conducts his school choir. The toothless wonder doesn't just wave his hands at the seventh graders. No, he's, he's learned how to communicate with the choir, non verbally to make them sing what he wants them to sing. He really directs them injecting spirit into the music. They woke up. It was almost as if we were singing the same songs, but just in *** new way, just like he does with the adult church choir at Mount Hebrew Baptist every week. It's like they expect it from him to get up there and direct every Sunday. The first time you see *** six year old dropping the beat, you want to laugh. Don't you dare? Because his teachers are convinced if he can already do this, but just wait till he can reach all the symbols. God's got something big for him. But great characters like Jay Mark are just one of the reasons. This is Iowa stories are so memorable, the surprises, the celebrations and unexpected emotions. We've captured in our decade of stories. This is Iowa stories have great characters, but they also have incredible moments captured as they unfold by ����vlogS incredible team of photojournalists. And now he started like when Spencer Vaughan caught Iowa State students chugging while the cops showed up and didn't care because it wasn't beer. This guy's trying to break *** record of 10 cans of mountain tonight or when Brandon Green captured the moment Grandpa's old tractor came home after *** 600 mile drive from Wisconsin. Triggering memories. It was here. I didn't think I'd do this. I didn't think I'd do this. But, uh, thank you all for your support. Here comes Steve Courtney Kinzer was there when two Vietnam buddies who hadn't seen each other in 50 years reunited. Welcome home, buddy. Yeah, I look good. It's so good to see you and Glenn Beerman caught *** kindergartner's first day tears. Ok. Thomas's breakaway bucket in Newton's big game for special needs students and *** huge tulip time surprise. Plenty of towns claim they're family friendly, claim *** spot early enough along Pelle's tulip time parade route and you'll win. Moms and their boys. Are you being shy proving it's different under their Dutch windmills? It really brings the community together like one big family *** celebration built not on the bulbs or the bakery goodies. You know, the, the Dutch letters, the bonds that lure generations to the same curb every year. Ruth Bushnell and her girls are always here. Now, we got *** son that says serving in Germany. But when duty called Ruth boy answered, you know, it's always hard because he was always part of ti *** time too and miss him. She also had no idea. Welcome home. Thank you. That just two blocks down the street, Sergeant Bushnell. I've been very nervous and very excited all day was home from Germany with his wife and 10 month old daughter. So now she gets to wear the little dutch costumes ready to hide in the parade on the American Legion float headed straight for his mom's spot. And after that it's Jimmy. Water works for my mom. She'll be very happy though. Live in Pella long enough. And you think, you know the entries? Yeah, there's some floats, there's some floats that are same every year. You know, it's *** tradition. Are you ready for this? Like where Pelle's military boys march? I hope our son can do that next year. She had no idea what. Well, really? Mhm. Ruth Bushnell turns 60 Friday. Her boy knew *** simple birthday call from Germany. Wouldn't cut it. I miss you so much. So, he packed up his young family and flew 4000 miles. How did you pull this with *** lot of help? You know, for an eight block ride around Pella Square next month? For most of the parade. Ruth barely noticed she'd actually been pulled into it. Can't believe it. She was too busy hugging her boy. I can't believe it. Who had really come all the way home for her? Oh, I love him. We've showcased characters and captured moments, but we've also experienced raw emotions from *** state filled with overflowing joy and at times overwhelming grief and that was it. Um We share them again as we celebrate *** decade of stories. This is Iowa. We continue celebrating 10 years of, this is Iowa stories and we've shared two of the ingredients. We look for great Iowa characters and powerful moments. But what's made this journey, fun joy because of all the ice. I had to wake up early and because I had to hurt, we witnessed it when Missouri Valley school superintendent sang his school closing and we're closed Tuesday to the roads are cleared by the snow man. And when Lennox's Grocer made men picking up *** gallon of bleach blush. Right. Yeah, we've showcased Des Moines air guitar playing Crossing Guard near King Elementary. I enjoy making people smile the Hubbard, couple surprising kindergartners with bus route skits every morning. You would not believe how happy this makes these kids and the carpenter who died without any Children. So he left behind $3 million to cover *** full ride to college for 33 students he never met. That's incredible. That doesn't happen. The joy we also found in Osceola in 2019 approach 90 and life slows down at *** time. Visitors rarely drop in. Yeah. Which is exactly why Jason Dent. I can't wait. Come on bud. Any time *** 13 year old shows up at Osceola's Southern Hills. Word spreads outstanding. Hi girls. But this hunk we're excited is £2000 of beef. *** registered bucking bull named Lie. I know who can't get to the crowd waiting for him without *** jaunt down the hallway. Ok, buddy. Here they are. Therapy dogs are coming. Oh my God. We wanted to bring Lee in here today to let you guys, uh, pet him but *** live bull. He's £2000. About 1900. Actually, that's ridiculous enough to draw *** smile from every wheelchair and make grandma's pucker up, boy. Oh my, you are. Yes, they're gorgeous for this beast that ripped poles right out of the ground when Jason Dent first tried to break him 10 years ago and it was pretty intense, you know, II I was purple from my eyebrows to my toes for quite *** lot of that time. After three years of bruises. This professional rodeo clown who goes by Whistle nut. Convinced Loving was better than bucking. It's an actual friendship between *** £2000 buck and bull and *** £200 spindly cowboy with big teeth and they'll go anywhere together spreading joy near his horn and tear by his tail because of the filth that might plop. We did. I'm in drove that smile right there is the highlight it's just, it's just joy until that clown starts asking for volunteers. Here we go. Are you ready for this? Starting *** senior citizen Stampede? You want me just to try to pick you up with Dean? 123. Oh, good Lord. Nice work. You're good and healthy. Yeah. You feel like you're ok to let go you. How's that good job there isn't *** nursing home manual in the state? That'll tell you. That's *** good idea. Outstanding. Outstanding. But Maggie, I love that. Didn't care. All right. You ready? I'll just have you lean back. I'm big. She wanted up too. Did you ever think in *** million that you'd, you'd be on *** bow in here? No, not this age but right there in the middle of southern hills, Maggie and Dean after her. How are proved two things? 80 eights? Only enough? Oh, you wanna go for *** little walk? Ok. And that clown's greatest fear in life being dropped off and forgotten in *** nursing home. You're welcome. Isn't *** given. And I just hope by putting it out there, somebody will do that for me when I get there because there are times in life we all need *** boost. You're doing it, you're doing it and others when we can spread joy by offering them, this will last me the rest of my life. Exactly why *** bolt walked into *** nursing home. Good job. Thank God. This is Iowa stories. Have tickled our funny bone, but they've also tugged at our heartstrings more from our decade of stories. Next, there's no greater honor in journalism than to be trusted to share life's most vulnerable moments. And over the last 10 years are this is Iowa stories have showcased incredibly raw emotions. I can't believe this has happened. Like when Sadia Omer waited at the airport for her seven Children, she told me I want to smell them. I want to hug them and smell them. I want to feel my kids again. War in Somalia had kept them apart for eight long years when she spotted them, she collapsed only to be picked up by her. Oh, hello. The same love of family we saw for more than *** full year. Good morning when Pat Steinbach visited his son's grave every morning at 11 o'clock. We miss you. Matthew. We miss you *** lot. We've been in the hospital when *** baby girl was born. Four months after her mom died, *** birth made possible through surrogacy. I can tell the look on Nate's face. It really? Oh, and we've been there at the end of life's journey too. Every coke contains *** jolt. Some say it's the caffeine. I probably say you go through four or five cans *** week. Everyone in Rockwell City swears the energy is really in the flick. They're tiny of your wrist. I've actually started drinking more pot just to get those pot tabs for the last decade. Calhoun County dentists preaching the evils of sugary drinks. Haven't had *** chance because of one teenager on *** mission. They said they'd have *** few more drinks. JC mcalexander is that 17 year old with *** cat on his lap. This is lucky. And she's been with me through all my treatments. His first love since second grade. Yeah, she's pretty old now when he was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma cancer. I think she knows when I have *** bad day and uh on those bad days, she tries to help me through them. And JC has had plenty spending so many nights at the Ronald mcdonald House in Des Moines. They literally gave him his own suite, but they also gave his parents *** shoulder to cry on. I had somebody that I can talk to about what our challenges were about what our fears were. We can't, we can't put *** price on what they've done for us. But once JC beat cancer, that eight year old wanted to try rallying his community behind *** currency. Even his classmates who had shaved their heads could latch on to. We had different places around Rockwell City where people could like donate pop tabs like their own banks. This was his way of giving back the aluminum from every pop deposit rolling into the bank. I think there's *** few beer tabs in there too. Maybe would be recycled for cash funding. That home where J C's childhood artwork still hangs. Pop tabs are tiny. That probably takes us *** good couple of months to, to fill *** house. But J C's goal was massive. *** ton of tabs. Yes. *** literal ton. When you start doing the math, it's, it's kind of crazy. Through middle school, little baggies became big boxes. They literally so many pop tabs until JC called with the news. It took him nine years but he was sure he had his ton. Yeah, because the garage had been filling up and he wanted to say thanks from his bed in hospice. It just helps, you know, that people are on my side and it helps to keep me going. 17 hours after he talked with us, this 17 year old died, Jy was weak, but he was determined to make sure every person who ever popped *** tab knew it mattered. It always felt like they were uh rooting for me behind the scenes there. Looking back now, I think he knew that he was close to the end, but he used that whatever energy he had to talk to you and then he didn't really talk much after that and, and I cried and held him and told him I loved him and, and that was it. Um ok, until just two days later when lucky died of cancer. Two. Yeah. And we've been saying goodbye for seven or eight weeks now and it's hard *** month before he died. The high school junior finished his Eagle Scout project on Main Street, but he didn't get the time to cash in on the aluminum stockpile from his garage for us. It's just carrying on to *** friend's legacy. So those same buddies who shaved their heads as second graders, what he wanted is finally getting done. It's *** great thing. Lugged boxes so heavy. Oh, they split bottom broke on me. JC would be getting after me right now about this. Making sure every last tab counted. If somebody took the time to pull one of these off, we want to make sure that they get here. The recycling centers scales show J C's jackpot weighed £3520. OK. Almost doubling his ton. I've just never seen this many pop tabs at one time. But ask J C's parents last one guys and they'll tell you 4.5 million tabs illustrates the potential in all of us. If *** 17 year old kid could do this, then everyone can do something for someone. We've collected those tears and *** lot of laughs as we've captured real moments with some of Iowa's great characters over the last decade. Sharing 10 years of stories that's been an honor. So keep the ideas coming because we look forward to sharing even more stories as we define what it means. When we say this is Iowa, I'm Eric Hanson.