Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

An idea that started right here in Kitchener is starting to take hold elsewhere. Last year, the Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation started Random Act of Kindness Day and this year - on November 13 - it's also being celebrated in Cambridge and London. Organizers hope future years will bring more cities on board, eventually becoming a national event.

The idea started in 2008 when someone gave a parking slip to Deb Ritchie, Friends of the Foundation committee chair. The movie Pay It Forward got her thinking about that kind gesture and sparked the idea.

Random Act of Kindness Day is about celebrating thoughtfulness and generosity with the simplest of acts. Hold the door open for someone. Bring a co-worker a coffee. Let someone in front of you in line. Pay a compliment. Rake your neighbour's leaves. Feed a stranger's parking meter. The foundation has cards available to hand out to your kindness recipient to encourage them to pay it forward. Last year, cards wounds up in Tofino, BC and as far away as Florida.

The foundation would love to hear about your Random Act of Kindness. To get your cards, visit a Bank of Montreal branch or the Kitchener-Waterloo Record.