Kindness is set to flourish on campus.

Good deeds, free food and notes of encouragement will mark the winter debut of Brock University’s annual Random Acts of Kindness Day on Wednesday, Feb. 12.

In partnership with the Niagara Community Foundation, the 10-year-old event, which traditionally took place in November, has moved to February to more closely align with celebrations from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.

Student Life Assistant Kailene Jackson said the on-campus activities will feature an array of kind acts designed to bring people together.

“We want people to be kind to each other every day,” she said. “But having a specific day helps to build community both at Brock and in Niagara, and it allows people to positively interact with each other during a time of year when they may not be outside as much.”

After the day kicks off with University President Gervan Fearon handing out granola bars in the Rankin Family Pavilion, events and giveaways will continue on and around campus, which Jackson said is beneficial to everyone involved.

“It’s important that every member of the Brock community feels cared about,” she said. “A small act of kindness can go a long way.”

Events taking place for Brock’s Random Acts of Kindness Day include:

• An interactive chalkboard wall where students write down their random acts of kindness
• President Fearon handing out granola bars in the Rankin Family Pavilion from 8 to 9 a.m.
• CareerZone will be handing out mood pencils and candy all day
• A to Z Learning Services will be handing out bags of popcorn with motivational messages all day
• The Campus Store will be handing out campus cash
• Information Technology Services will be making a departmental donation to the Lincoln County Humane Society
• Goodman School of Business ambassadors will be handing out candy at the Goodman Gate from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Brock Rotaract is selling roses in the MCA hallway to raise funds for Pathstone Mental Health
• Student Life and Community Experience will set up gratitude card-making stations, which are tables where students can make gratitude cards to hand out to family, friends, staff, etc. Tables will be in Market Hall, the James A. Gibson Library and outside of the Student Life Involvement Commons. Tables will have pre-printed cards and markers. There will also be birthday cards to be sent to a 100-year-old Second World War veteran in Toronto.
• The Library will have a table set up with gratitude cards as well as information about donating to or signing up for Brock’s Coldest Night of the Year team
• Brock’s Faith and Life Centre and the Brock Leaders Citizenship Society will be posting positive notes throughout the campus
• The Brock Student Alumni Association will be handing out Timbits next to the Brock Card office
• The Niagara Community Foundation invites everyone to share their kind deeds on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #RAKday. You can follow Random Acts of Kindness Niagara on Twitter at @RAKDayNiagara and on Facebook at com/rakdayniagara.

For further information about Brock’s Random Acts of Kindness Day, contact Jackson at kjackson2@brocku.ca