When Hutchinson native Reagan Goldstein was bullied in school after moving to San Diego, her mother suggested she explore the opposite act: kindness.
So the 11-year-old took to Twitter and Facebook using #KindnessMatters to promote "dares" of kindness, hoping it might attract a little attention. When news got to Hutchinson by way of the Hutchinson Leadership Institute Design Team, it became clear there was much more than a "little" interest here.
More than 200 people showed up to say "#KindnessMattersInHutch" at a Library Square gathering this past Friday at 4 p.m.
The merry crowd arrived with signs supporting kindness, their own kindness challenges, and a pair of banners reading #KindnessMatters. Phoenix Drumline added music to the gathering, and when a drone took to the sky, everyone fathered around the fountain for a giant photo.
Goldstein was able to see what she had inspired via video chat. Mary Hodson, Hutchinson Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism president, toured the gathering with a smiling Goldstein on her smartphone.
— Jeremy Jones
