Powell River’s second-annual Compassion Challenge is back, encouraging residents to again perform 10,000 acts of compassion, on Friday, May 22.
Many of this year’s events were inspired by students at Brooks Secondary School, motivated by the idea that simple acts of kindness bring communities together.
“Keeping a positive attitude and giving lots of high fives,” is what compassion is all about to grade eight student, Amanda Butler. She is one of the students behind the Compassion Rocks event, new to the festival this year.
A community art project has students painting beach rocks for a final mosaic. Interested members of the public are also encouraged to participate (using environmentally-safe paint), starting from 5 pm at Willingdon Beach.
The Race for Compassion is also new this year. The foot race runs from First Credit Union parking lot from 4 until 5:30 pm, and encourages participating teams to complete “unique challenges and inspiring acts of compassion.”
Those wishing to get involved at a slower pace can join the second-annual Walk for Compassion at Timberlane Track and help complete 10,000 laps, at whatever speed they prefer, between 8 am and 3 pm.
The day culminates with music, stories and games at 5 pm in Willingdon Park—including a free all-vegetarian barbecue this year. It is vegetarian because of complaints made last year that meat was not compassionate, according to Chris Bratseth, a teacher at Brooks who is helping to organize events.
All are encouraged to document and post their “stories of compassion” with photos online.
“Compassion encourages [you] to give what you can without expecting anything back,” said grade 12 student Drew Murray, who has taken a leadership role at this year’s festival.
For more information about the festival readers can contact Bratseth at [email protected].
