nbc's diana alvear explains in tonight's "making a difference" report. >> reporter: after the champagne, the cake and the vows -- >> you may now kiss your bride. >> reporter: -- comes a check made out to a good cause. that's what you get when mary melfy officiates a wedding. instead of getting paid, the county clerk asks the happy couple to donate what they can to safe and hunterdon, a group that helps victims of domestic violence in new jersey. >> i love it. >> reporter: so many weddings, 150 of them a year. the conservative indian wedding where she had to omit the line you may kiss the bride, the couple who forgot their rings and had to make do with candy ring pops, and a favorite, the marine on home leave for just one week, to marry his sweetheart. >> i was crying. the staff was crying. >> reporter: after seven years, the money has piled up. >> with $100 and then $200, 2012, i hit the $20,000 mark. and it was just like hitting the lottery. >> reporter: donna vartos relies on mary's wedding donations. >> we provide days of shelter and security to women and children who are fleeing fro

diana alvear, nbc news, los angeles. >>> up next on this new year's day, even more reasons to love ans to love a parade. watch out for myself. with so much noise about health care... i tuned it all out. with unitedhealthcare, i get information that matters... my individual health profile. not random statistics. they even reward me for addressing my health risks. so i'm doing fine... but she's still going to give me a heart attack. we're more than 78,000 people looking out for more than 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare. diarrhea, gas, bloating? yes! one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues... with three strains of good bacteria. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. get coricidin hbp. the number one pharmacist recommended cold brand designed for people with high blood pressure. and the only one i use to relieve my cold symptoms without raising my blood pressure. coricidin hbp. [ male announcer ] the rhythm of life. [ whistle blowing ] where do you hear that beat? campbell's healthy requ

diana alvear hit the streets of los angeles to find out? ♪ >> reporter: it is what subways is famous for and what customers expect. when a sub lover from down under posted this picture to facebook of an 11-inch sandwich. >> you mean slihrinkage. >> reporter: soon, hundreds of people were posting pictures of their sub par subs. >> it is a big deal for subway because they went out and said we have a foot long. they didn't say say jumbo or a very long. that's a tcontract with your customers. subway says, they regret these instances. we have redoubled our efforts to insure consistency and length. >> reporter: the question is, is subway really giving you 12 inches with every foot long. we decided to find out in a far from scientific experience. we set up a sandwich measuring station and began advertising. >> we'll measure your subway sandwich. size matters. >> reporter: there is no scientific way of measuring it when it is in your stomach. >> reporter: finally, we scored. first up, mikey with a foot long foot long. >> i think it is on point. >>

for "today," diana alvear, nbc news, los angeles. >>> time for a check of the other top stories.ng. >> good morning to you. too many american are spending this first week of the new year in bed. and not because of that. they are being taken down by the flu in numbers we typically wouldn't see until much later in the winter. the centers for disease control reports flu cases are wide instead 41 states. health officials say we haven't even seen the peak yet. this year's strain appears to be a particularly nasty one and has proven deadly in a handful of cases involving younger people. >>> federal aid is on the way to victims of superstorm sandy. congress has approved almost $10 billion to help pay flood insurance claims to 115,000 people and businesses hurt by the hurricane. northeast lawmakers are now seeking speedy approval of about $52 billion in recovery aid. a vote for that is set for january 15. >>> the fda says enough is enough with the number of foodborne illnesses in the u.s. they want to do something about it. proposing new food safety rules for farmers and manufacturers, i

diana alvear is there. good morning. >> good morning.t it to stay beautiful and that's why they want to charge trainers fees and part of their revenues in exchange for using the parks. ♪ when it comes to working out, it's tough to beat the beach. >> always the sunshine, nice breeze, ocean right beside you. i mean, the motivation is definitely there outside. >> one, two, across. >> reporter: but ruben lawrence and other trainers are facing a battle with the city of santa monica. >> we've found that dozens and dozens of groups have set up shop here really as their base of operations for their training and boot camps. >> reporter: a new proposal could require trainers to pay a yearly $100 fee. 10% to 15% of their revenue in exchange for using the city's public spaces including historic palisades park. >> a yearly fee and 10% to 15% of their revenue, sounds like a lot of money. >> they're also doing more wear and tear on our parks than they normally would. if they were in the gym that they normally would operate in, they would be paying that