WINDSOR -- The annual Pledge campaign in Windsor-Essex is taking on a new meaning.
This year, Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare and Bell Media – the parent company of CTV Windsor and AM800 – are encouraging residents to do acts of kindness and make them go viral.
Participants are asked to share their story on social media using the hashtag #iPledgeChallenge to spread the message of kindness.
Hotel Dieu CEO Janice Kaffer challenged her colleagues to respond, promising to offer 60 intentional acts of kindness to coincide with her 60th birthday.
"We do hope is an opportunity for people to intentionally address and engage with people from a kindness, compassion and positive human interaction," says Kaffer.
Kaffer got the idea from 11-year-old Liam Dutot of Windsor, who instead of birthday presents this year asked his friends for donations to give to three local charities.
He raised $215 as a way of showing his pals that "kindness is cool."
"I know I felt good and I knew Joseph and Joey's family felt good and then I thought about it some more and I realized that loads of other families feel good. So it made me feel good even more," says Dutot."
The money was donated to Germain and Christine Gaudet who are raising money to create a bereavement centre named after their son Julien who died tragically in 2011 at the age of 18.
CTV News Windsor is proud to be a partner again in the #iPledgeChallenge.
We will highlight an act of kindness every Wednesday in the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscast from Oct. 30 to Nov. 20 as part of the campaign.
