26 Acts Of Kindness Honor Victims Of Sandy Hook Shooting
The 26 Acts of Kindness Facebook page gives an outlet to those wishing to help the Sandy Hook shooting victims in Newtown, Connecticut. People are pledging to enact 26 acts of kindness in order to honor the names of the 26 victims of Adam Lanza. According to NBC, people are increasingly turning to social media in order to find ways to help others.
The trend toward selflessness started with a tweet from Ann Curry, of NBC News:
“Imagine if all of us committed to 20 acts of kindness to honor each child lost in Newtown. I’m in. If you are RT. #20Acts.”
The number for these acts of kindness has since grown to 26 to honor the fallen victims of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. Warren Tidwell explains to KSL why he created the “26 Acts of Kindness” Facebook page to honor the victims:
“I sat there watching the coverage and I was crushed, and hopeless, and helpless. I have a 4-year-old son who will be going to kindergarten next year, and it just felt like the right thing to do.”
Many copycat Facebook pages have sprung up, but all are urging for the message of the 26 acts of kindness. None seemed to portray events in a negative light. Tidwell has received many emails from other people telling him how participation in the 26 acts of kindness has helped them as well:
“It’s such a universal pain we’re all feeling. It’s such a universal thing to want to do something but not feel like you can do anything. Hopefully, through this, people can find some catharsis. To feel like the good that was taken that day — we’re going to put it back in the world.”
The motivation also finds a source in one of the victims. Robbie Parker, father of slain Emilie Parker, said to KSL his daughter was always one to bring happiness to others:
“I can’t count the number of times Emilie noticed someone feeling sad or frustrated and would rush to find a piece of paper to draw them a picture or to write them an encouraging note.”
Instead of using pictures or notes, people are using Twitter to communicate how they plan on, or have already, helping others. The most popular hashtags communicating these good-will efforts are #26Acts and #26ActsOfKindness.
Friends had their meal paid for at a Newtown restaurant by a man who called from Ontario @NBCNews @anncurry #26Acts
— ??Gina M?? (@McDGG) December 18, 2012
Just bought a cup of tea for the #Danbury cop behind me at @dunkindonuts drive thru #26acts #thankyoufirstresponders
— Anne Cox (@anne246) December 18, 2012
NMHS students came up big today! I had numerous requests for Newtown fundraisers all day long- in halls, over email, at lunch, etc. #26acts
— Dr. Chris Longo (@DrChrisLongo) December 18, 2012
Do you have plans for your own 26 acts of kindness in order to honor the victims of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting?
