“Kindness not only wins, it also spreads.”
Those were the words of Riley Gilroyed when asked about the success of this year’s Kindness Wins campaign.
Read more: KIP puts anti-bully talks at top of mind
Organized by the Lloydminster and District Co-op, the 15th Annual Kindness Wins campaign raised a whopping $8,420 for Beyond Borders Circle of Change initiatives.
Gilroyed, a student counsellor at Lloydminster Comprehensive High School and the director of Beyond Borders Circle of Change (BBCOC), was thrilled with this year’s campaign.
“It’s been wonderful, the community stepped up huge,” he said, explaining BBCOC uses the donations to fund anti-bullying programs within the Lloydminster Public and Lloydminster Catholic School Divisions.
“With help from Brandi Hofer and the LPDS Art Academy, we’ve been able to compile huge numbers from t-shirt and sweater sales.”
The KIP (Kindness is Power) Team is an element of BBCOC made up of students from both school divisions focused on anti-bullying and healthy relationships. Over the years, KIP students have given numerous presentations to their peers.
Preema Nathan, a Grade 12 KIP Team member from Holy Rosary High School, has seen the power of these presentations first hand.
“It’s great talking to kids and making sure they know how to deal with bullying. When you’re that young, you don’t really know what to do,” said Nathan. “It’s hard for the little kids to process what they’re going through, so it’s rewarding for us to see all the smiles come out of it.”
For the Co-op’s director of marketing, Tess Wack, the campaign speaks volumes about the community and aligns with the Co-op values.
“Kindess Wins is important to us because we want to live and foster (an) inclusive, kind and welcoming community. We’re proud to be a part of that community,” she said. “The more we can do to support that, the better.”
For Gilroyed, kindness is all about a snowball effect.
“A simple smile or gesture can go a long way, and it’s huge how something so little or insignificant seeming can become so significant.”
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