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Let a Random Act of Kindness make you smile by John Bkila Oakville Beaver Staff 3 | Thursday, October 31, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) Day is tomorrow (Friday) and several community groups and volunteers will be out in Oakville getting people to smile just a little more. This will be the third annual RAK Day organized by the Oakville Community Foundation (OCF) to encourage people to think about ways to spread kindness every day. "It's reinforcing the linkages with our community," said Sarah McPherson, OCF director of communications and development. "We're doing this to raise awareness of what's good and happening in our community, but also to show there are needs and there are ways people can stay involved. That's the long-term goal." RAK grew out of the U.S. around 1990 when incidents of violence, particularly gun-related, were occurring more frequently. Tired of hearing news about random acts of violence, a California professor and a group of his students began to perform random acts of kindness -- RAK would become a movement spreading beyond North America and a popular vehicle for community foundations like OCF . Some of the events taking place around town on the day include: · CJ's Café in Bronte will be giving out coffee for a donation to a local charity Last year on Random Acts of Kindness Day, United Way of Oakville CEO Brad Park gave out flowers in downtown Oakville. Here, Carolina Martinez, left, and Sarah Bourque, are pleasantly surprised. | Oakville Beaver file photo · Local McDonald's restaurant locations will be handing out free coffee · The Oakville Chamber of Commerce will go to a member's restaurant and buy someone lunch · West Oak Public School will place inspirational notes and pay-it-forward RAK cards on each student's locker; St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School's Peace and Justice Club will be promoting kindness in their school's community; and St. Bernadette Elementary will be passing on RAK cards when someone shows an act of caring in the school · Select BMO locations will be handing out gift cards to Tim Hortons and other treats to their customers New to RAK Day this year are Kindness Crews that are made up of volunteers who will visit various locations across Oakville, from approximately 9 a.m.-noon, and perform random acts of kindness, such as: · Volunteers from the May Court Club will offer their services to the Oakville & Milton Humane Society · Staff from the YMCA of Oakville will be heading over to Community Living Oakville to play games with some of its clients · Members of the United Way of Oakville will be in Towne Square handing out cupcakes. Volunteers will assemble at a kickoff pep rally at the Weather Network building, 2655 Bristol Circle, at 8:30 a.m. They will then divide into teams, choose a task and head into the community. There will be a wrap-up celebration at the YMCA of Oakville, 410 Rebecca St., at 12:30 p.m. where volunteers will be able to share stories from the day and provide feedback. To help spread more awareness of RAK Day and get even more people involved, OCF organizers are asking those who participate to share their experiences using the hashtag #RAKOAKVILLE on Twitter (@OakvilleCF), Facebook (Oakville Community Foundation), and Instagram (@OakvilleCF). Those who share the most on any of the social media platforms will receive a $100 gift certificate to Whole Foods Oakville, as well as a $250 donation to a charity of their choice. For more information on how to get involved on RAK Day, visit http://goo.gl/mTQ6IB. 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