For a nation still in mourning over a horrific tragedy, journalist Ann Curry offers a glimmer hope: a challenge to do #26acts of kindness in tribute to the 26 innocent victims of Sandy Hook.
After discovering Giants' wide receiver Victor Cruz's act of tribute to 6-year-old Sandy Hook victim Jack Pinto, Curry prompted her Twitter followers to begin to change the world. Cruz honored Pinto by writing his name on his cleats and gloves during Sunday's game and Curry, inspired, Tweeted, "Imagine if we all committed to 20 acts of kinds for each child lost in Newton? I'm in RT #20Acts if YOU R in."
Followers responded that they'd be in for #20acts, but several more responded that they would instead do #26acts to honor the children and the staff members lost. Since then, the hashtag has exploded on Twitter, with users describing their kind acts and Curry retweeting to the world.
The acts range from the grand to the tiny, each equally important. One woman Tweeted that she made a donation for a 6-year-old girl in Indonesia to "help get the heart surgery she needs." Another recounted her simple story of buying a Starbucks coffee for the man in line behind her. Several more reported their donations to various charitable organizations, including local food banks and hospitals. Still more talked about their acts of volunteering, baking cookies or donating toys to children.
One Tweeter asked Curry to recognize the mother of the shooter, as well, and reinforce #27Acts. She retweeted the request and added the hashtag.
Is Ann Curry starting a revolution? Maybe, but this revolution has nothing to do with politics or gun laws or reexamining our mental health care system. Each of those should be fixed, perhaps, but this revolution is about recognizing we aren't alone on this planet. This revolution is about committing acts of kindness simply to help our fellow man. This revolution, perhaps, has a real chance to change our world.
Are you in for the acts? You don't need to Tweet, use a hashtag, or even do 27 random acts of kindness. Just start with one and be part of a better world.