BATH
While acts of kindness are appreciated year round, in Bath there’s a specific day set aside for them.
Saturday marks the 5th Annual Kindness Day in Bath, a free community event in downtown Bath that encourages small personal acts of kindness among community members. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring dozens of booths downtown spreading niceties.
The event began five years ago, when then-Morse junior Bryanna Ringrose organized a small event to celebrate and encourage kindness in the community. Since then, it’s only grown, with more and more booths run by volunteers and random acts of kindness taking place throughout the day mainly along Front and Centre Streets. While Ringrose has since graduated, the event is now coordinated by volunteers Jennifer McDorr and Darreby Ambler.
“This event is life changing, I hope everyone has a chance to experience the joy of giving and receiving kindness together as a community.
It is a heart-warming reminder to be kind all year,” McDorr said.
This year there will be dozens of stations, ranging from an Dayspring Wellness massage station, a portrait painting station where the artist is a child, a pick-aflower station run by the Bath Garden Club and far more. There will even be a butterfly release at 1:30 p.m. featuring dozens of monarchs captured by Bath resident Troy Peoples over the summer.
“We’re doing a lot of the same things if you’ve gone before, but we’re trying to incorporate a lot of new ideas too,” said McDorr.
There’s something for everybody. For those in need of a boost of confidence, Over the Moon will have a complement station. For those in need of a furry friend, there will be a pat-apet station with local pets on hand. For those who need support of a more edible nature, several stations will offer free food, like the LifeChurch’s Popcorn Station. A full list of stations is available on the group’s Facebook page, although new stations can still be added and individual acts of kindness, such as paying for the customer in line behind you or just greeting someone in a friendly way, are encouraged.
“It’s based on random acts of kindness, so it’s just the community coming together to do kind things for people,” said McDorr. “It’s just people being people. No politics. No selling.”
Earlier this month, the Bath City Council proclaimed August 18 Kindness Day, giving the event an official stamp of approval as it has in past years. The city will take part in the day itself with a Love Your City station.
Volunteers are encouraged to visit the Kindness Day Bath Facebook page for more information or to volunteer.
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