Kim Downs and Sandy Atwood are angels who have helped to give The Kindness Bus Tour a lift to a higher level. What an unbelievably special visit to this upstate New York community. A few months of planning never readied me for what was in store for me during my visit yesterday.
An overnight stay at the Downs’ residence was the perfect hospitality needed for the long drive to this area and to rest for a long day to come. Over 500 students from Caryl E Adams Elementary School heard my 45 minute presentation, including the puppet show, to inspire everyone in attendance to “be the one” who makes a difference in someone’s life. Two TV interviews during and after my presentation were another great way to get the word out about my mission. Todd Sherwood, communications coordinator for the district was very helpful with the interviews and provided the photo for today’s blog.
The afternoon and evening presentations included a half hour reading of Bogart’s new book “Bogart Begins His Kindness Adventure,” a dinner including a custom “One Million Acts Of Kindness Day” cake with many from the Whitney Point Community attending and a 45 minute talk about being a parental role model. It seemed like every adult thanked me afterwards for my talk.
One of the many highlights today was Mayor David A Downs proclaiming April 27th 2011 as One Million Acts Of Kindness Day in Whitney Point, New York. What an amazing special place .
Thank you, Bob Votruba and Bogart too!!
Please help us spread our message of a Goal of Kindness to schoolchildren across the country. Your donations are crucial to making this a reality.
Mail donations to:
One Million Acts Of Kindness
PO Box 770054
Lakewood, OH 44107
You can also donate through PayPal:
Bogart is my travel companion on The Kindness Bus Tour for the next ten years. We will be on the road traveling to campuses across the country. Bogart is a eight year old Boston Terrier. He is a great people dog... he loves meeting new people. I am Bogart's fourth owner in his short 8 years of life... Not because of him but because his three previous owner's lifestyles changed after they took him in... Lucky for me!! Bogart is the luckiest, most spoiled dog on the face of the earth. He loves the bus and he loves to travel. Please come and visit him when we are on your campus.
The Blue Bird Corporation donated this amazing bus to One Million Acts of Kindness, allowing us the continue this initiative. It has been painted to closely resemble the original Kindness Bus. It will last well beyond the ten years of this mission. A very big thank you to Blue Bird from Bob Votruba and Bogart too!!
The original Kindness bus has been donated to a professor at Virginia Tech who will use it on campus and at schools in the Blacksburg area. The Kindness Bus will continue to inspire and comfort residents, students and visitors in that area for years to come.
One Million Acts Of Kindness is a goal. A goal for each person to individually perform One Million Acts Of Kindness in their life. Can you imagine a greater goal for one's life? It is a constant mind-set of kindness every day of your life for the next fifty-five years. Doing for others and kindness in your heart for everyone. It is my wish that you will dedicate your life to a charity... finding the passion in your heart for something or someone in need.
As a father of three college age kids I am concerned for the world in which all kids will live. A great way to create a safer, more caring world is for everyone to start their lifetime goal of One Million Acts Of Kindness. So I bought a bus, had about sixty family members, friends and neighbors help paint it and began a ten year journey with my Boston Terrier, Bogart, to college campuses across the country hoping to convince as many of you as possible about this much needed movement for this world. I love you guys too much to sit back and not do anything about this. Let's start a kindness movement in this country today to change the direction this world is headed!! You are the change that this world needs.