Roses to Bobby Shriner, who recently led his Orange High School wrestling team to its second straight state championship, putting a perfect flourish on an undefeated season.

In his 23 years at OHS, Shriner has built one of the state's most dominant programs; his Panthers have won four of the past five 3-A dual team titles, and many of his wrestlers have gone on to top college programs and coaching careers of their own.

But Shriner's success involves a lot more than just teaching kids how to pin opponents and escape holds. He instills in them the values of hard work, perseverance and humility, and he makes sure his wrestlers focus on using their individual skills for the good of the whole team.

It's especially telling that the one virtue Shriner emphasizes above all is humility. In an era when so much of sports is about in-your-face showboating, Shriner requires his athletes to let their skills do their talking; "L.P.," he reminds them, meaning "low profile." It seems almost anachronistic these days, sadly, but Shriner says his goal isn't just to build good wrestlers, but to build "gentlemen" who will contribute to society. We can always use more of those.

Roses to the organizers and participants of the 2012 UNC Dance Marathon, which last week raised almost half a million dollars to support the patients and families of the N.C. Children's Hospital.

It's not easy. Some 2,000 students took to the floor to start dancing at Fetzer Gym at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Twenty-four hours later, they were still there - exhausted and foot-weary but still upright.

They did it, they said, "for the kids." food and various activities to help keep everybody awake, nourished and active.

The first dance marathon was held in 1999, when 100 students participated and raised $40,000. This year's $483,210 was the largest total yet. Altogether, the dance marathon has provided more than $3.2 million for the Children's Hospital, which a treasure that richly deserves the support.

The dancers acknowledged that by the end of the marathon, their legs and feet ached. But, said one of them, that "pales in comparison to what the children at the hospital go through every day."

Roses to the Yarn Bombers, who fanned out across downtown Carrboro Saturday and adorned benches, trees, bike racks and other features with bright knitted artwork. The group of about a dozen knitters spread beauty and good will around town, giving the urban landscape a softer and more colorful edge.

There may be the occasional grouch who grouses that the "knit graffiti," as it's sometimes called, constitutes littering, but most passersby seemed to see it for what it is - a gift to the community.