While riding The Kindness Bicycle in mid December, I stopped at several schools to let them know of my availability in the New Year. Today’s visit to Tommie Barfield Elementary School was because of that due diligence.
Nadine O’Donnell, the School Counselor invited me for a visit to talk with the students, teachers and staff.
Principal, Dr. Jory Westberry joined me for an interview on WTBE, the in-school Morning News Show. Bogart clearly stole the show as he laid down and yawned as I talked. He has heard the story told countless times.
This school is a wonderfully nurturing learning environment for everyone of the students, and it shows. All of the students acted in a polite respectful manner. It’s no wonder when their school wide expectations are Respect, Responsibility and Role Model. This is a school where children have every opportunity to soar.
After the Morning Show, Nadine accompanied me to several classrooms. I talked with these small groups about all the great things they are capable of in their lives. They will undoubtably take on the challenge.
After my visit we were joined by several students and Assistant Principal, Katie Maya for a lesson and photo by The Kindness Bus.
In a wonderful email from Nadine, I was paid the ultimate compliment paraphrased from a sentence, “…bless you for all that you do for children.”
A big thank you to Diane Fowler and Aimee Perez for the financial support of my mission.
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.