Sprout’s Kindness Counts initiative has logged nearly 600,000 acts of kindness from children across the country as they continue moving toward their goal of 1 million kind deeds performed by Sproutlets. Meant to “encourage and celebrate everyday thoughtful acts while serving as a tool for parents to reinforce kindness and compassion,” Kindness Counts actions are featured each morning on Sprout during THE SUNNY SIDE UP SHOW and with Good Egg Awards. Now, Sprout is nearing the announcement of their first-ever “Chief Kindness Officer,” an exceptional preschooler whose kind acts have put them in the running through The Kindest Kid Contest sponsored by ABCmouse.com. Voting is open now, and for each vote received, Sprout will donate $1 up to $25,000 to a national children’s charity, as well as an additional $5,000 in the winner’s name! Check out the finalists below…
Anna (7, Philadelphia, PA) Last year Anna asked everyone attending her birthday party to bring a new winter jacket, hat, scarf or mittens in lieu of presents. She collected more than 100 items, which were donated to a local women’s and children’s abuse shelter. In 2013, she asked guests to bring new toys, which she then donated to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. This year, Anna will ask party guests to donate money towards a special needs camp, with the goal of generating enough donations to send one child to camp this summer.- Emma (7, Tucson, AZ) Emma was four years old when she found out that her two-year old brother, Chase, had been diagnosed with brain cancer. She was pulled out of preschool, play dates and dancing so she and her family could travel for Chase’s treatment. While she never complained, Emma soon realized that siblings of kids fighting cancer also needed to feel special, and began to send her own toys to any kids she knew whose sibling was fighting cancer. Emma’s idea expanded into Lock Boxes of Love — a grassroots, non-profit started by Emma to send customized toy boxes to the siblings of those fighting terminal illness.
- Mateo (7, York, PA) One day in April of this year, Mateo noticed a lot of trash in his neighborhood, and decided to do something about it. 47 bags of trash later, he had cleaned it up himself. This experience sparked the creation of Mateo’s Litter Critters, which holds monthly trash clean-ups with other neighborhood kids. The Litter Critters have gathered more than 200 bags of litter lying on nearby streets. Matteo also uses the Litter Critters as a tool for kids to feel accepted and get acclimated to the neighborhood.
- Otra (5, San Jose, CA) Otra knows the value of time. That’s why she donates hers by volunteering at a local community Adult Daycare Center, where many are suffering from some physical or mental illness. Whether reading a book, constructing arts & crafts, or helping to set the tables at meal time, Otra enjoys helping wherever she can. Her bright smiles and cheerful hugs make a big difference to the people she interacts with.
Sprout will name its “Chief Kindness Officer” live on air on Saturday, December 21 during a three hour programming special hosted by The Chica Show stars Kelly and Chica featuring kindness-themed episodes of Sprout favorites. The Kindest Kid will win a trip to Sprout’s headquarters in Philadelphia with their family to be Sprout’s honorary “Chief Kindness Officer” for the day. They will tour Sprout and the Sunshine Barn, meet Chica and The Sunny Side Up Show hosts, and record segments about kindness, which will air in 2014. They will also be featured on Sprout’s Kindness Counts website.
As an additional piece of the Kindness Count initiative, Sprout is also rolling out some guest blogs at Sprout Online by members of The Kindness Crew. While I don’t know who all of them are just yet, I can tell you who the first is. Me! Kindness Crew Bloggers will be contributing posts based around the five pillars of Kindness Counts: Be Kind to All; Be Kind to Yourself; Be Kind to Animals; Be Kind to Others; Be Kind to The Earth. My first post involves Being Kind to Animals, and can be viewed at this location. With Sprout having been a part of our daily lives for the past four years, having “The Rock Father” featured at Sprout Online is a huge honor.
Stay tuned for more…
