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[5]By Selena Steele-Clough [6]
BELLEVILLE – Residents of the Quinte region are showing what it means to be kind to one another.
Violence Awareness and Random Acts of Kindness Week [7] kicked off on Monday at the Quinte Mall. [8] There was an opening ceremony and a candlelight vigil, and kindness awards were given to students from the community.
The awards were for posters the students had made to push the anti-violence message. They were awarded prizes like gift cards, T-shirts and even a laptop.
The program was created by Belleville residents Chris MacDonald and Pam Smith after MacDonald’s son, Mark Fyke, was killed in Florida during spring break 20 years ago.
There are now 62 elementary schools and 15 high schools involved with the kindness program, representing over 24,000 students in the greater community of Quinte [9] and Prince Edward County [10].
Smith, who is the committee chair for the program, said that the organizers’ motto has always been to drown out the voice of violence with acts of kindness.
“We always wanted to demonstrate why kindness does make a difference in the community,” she said.
With the program turning 20 years old, Smith said, she’s really proud of what Random Acts of Kindness Week has accomplished.
Belleville’s chief of police [11], Cory MacKay, spoke to the crowd on Monday night about how important it is to be kind to one another.
“We are here to show compassion to others,” she said. “With everything going on in the world, this is needed now more today then it was 20 years ago.”
MacKay added that these types of events are increasing the awareness of violence and random acts of kindness.
“No act is too small when it’s an act of kindness,” she said.
Emma Jianopoulos, a Grade 12 student from Moira Secondary School [12], was one of 12 high-school students nominated by school staff to accept an award.
“I was called down to the office and was given an envelope that said that I had won the kindness award for my school,” she said.
Treating everyone the same, no matter who they are, is important to her, Jianopoulos said.
“Giving just a smile to someone in the hallway will make a difference to that one person who might be having a bad day.”
Belleville Coun. Jack Miller [13] joined MacKay in handing out awards to the students.
“It meant a lot for me to be here. I just wanted to support the families and children involved tonight,” Miller said.
He told QNet News that he remembered very well the accident that killed MacDonald’s son, adding that it is very meaningful to see a senseless and brutal tragedy turn into something so beautiful.
Residents are being encouraged to nominate someone who has shown kindness throughout the week. At the end of the week, there will be a draw among the names for a kindness award.