Jennifer Crawford

FGCU Police officers, faculty and students rallied together over the holidays to help sick children across Florida. They collected more than 2,000 toys in December for Heroes Unmasked, a local non-profit that sends superheroes to children's hospitals and into the homes of chronically and terminally ill children to visit and pass out donated toys.

Every year during the holidays veterans who have died over the years are remembered with a fresh pine wreath laid on their graves at cemeteries across the U.S. and in Southwest Florida.

For the first time in a decade, a black bear hunt has returned to Florida. FWC reports that they received over 163,000 applications for the chance to win one of only 172 bear tags.

Doctors are getting a major boost in the battle against breast cancer thanks to Artificial Intelligence.

Lee Dental Care says 90 volunteers spent their Saturday in Fort Myers giving back one smile at a time. Founder of the non-profit Smiles for the Community, Dr. Paul Uliasz said 310 patients received free care provided by a group of Southwest Florida oral surgeons, dentists and hygienists.

A Fort Myers Dentist expects people to start lining up as early as 2 a.m. today to receive free dental care as part of the 4th annual Smiles for the Community event. At least 30 local dentists, oral surgeons and hygienists from Estero to Punta Gorda to Winterhaven, will be giving their time and expertise to help people with their oral health in Fort Myers. Dentist Dr. Paul Uliasz of Lee Dental Care said he anticipates 300 people will show up, some in severe pain.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 400,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2025. Catching the disease early is the best form of treatment.

With the Government Shutdown showing no end in sight, the impact from limited Federal Government resources is now impacting the community, by limiting events such as Air Shows.

Almost two thousand emergency meals supplied from the state of Florida are being delivered to Southwest Florida food pantries today. Harry Chapin workers loaded up pallets on trucks to deliver the non-perishables to pantries in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties.

FGCU graduate 22-year-old Zoey Carter walked for her mother Wednesday.Jessica Carter -- her mother -- died at age 49 from breast cancer. “I'm walking here today in honor of my mom. She passed away last year after battling breast cancer for four years," she said. "We came here together two years ago, and she did the walk. So I'm finally back, just in her honor.” Zoey Carter fought back tears but gathered the strength to attend the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. She joined along with several thousand Southwest Floridians, awash in a sea of pink, at Paradise Coast Sports Complex in Collier County.