World Kindness Day 2012 was surely one to remember, thanks to Life Vest Inside. The organization works to cultivate the awareness that individuals can effect real and positive change in the people around them, simply by ‘living kindness.’
World Kindness Day was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement. It is observed in many countries, including Canada, Japan, Australia, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. In 2009, Singapore observed the day for the first time. Italy and India also observed the day.
This year, over 3,000 participants in over 30 locations spanning across 15 countries joined together to Dance For Kindness in Life Vest Inside’s first annual WorldWide FreezeMob FlashMob! The goal of the event was to promote kindness, positive human interaction and to help increase people’s awareness and sensitivity to othersand it did just that!
The event began with a Kindness FreezeMob. Dancers froze in ‘Kindness Positions’ for over three minutes as DeScribe’s amazing, soul stirring hit single, ‘We R 1’ brought hope to the crowds.
For three minutes, time froze for kindness and gave people the opportunity to see that kindness truly only takes a moment. Immediately after the FreezeMob, the streets filled with the sound of K’nann’s ‘Wavin’ Flag’ and Matisyahu’s ‘One Day’ as dancers from across the globe un-froze and broke out into dance. Life Vest Inside Acts of Kindness cards were distributed, giving the crowd an opportunity to take a bit of the magic with them.
The New York City group, led by Life Vest Inside’s founder Orly Wahba and Executive Director Tory Dube, performed their FlashMob in Times Square. New York City’s American Eagle Outfitters donated their billboards for the length of the performance and Life Vest Inside played their award winning short film ‘Kindness Boomerang’ and debuted their new kindness spots!
Ari Grunzenweig, of Imagination Creations, compiled the footage and turned Life Vest Inside’s various commercials and short films into an epic 20 minutes of choreographed footage on the eight screens donated.
“For 10 minutes, Times Square stopped to celebrate kindness with us. It was magical. The whole purpose of the event was to increase human connection and we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams,”recalled Tory Dube.
In the coming months, Life Vest Inside will compile the footage of all of the FlashMobs around the world into one montageproving race, location and religious affiliation don’t matter, we can come together as one in kindness.
“I know my life has been changed by coming upon Life Vest Inside’s Kindness Boomerang video and embarking on this fabulous adventure! I am so looking forward to becoming an ambassador for Life Vest Inside. I know we have touched over 100 people’s lives right here in Montrealhopefully they will touch hundreds more,” said Diane Dupuis-Kallos after successfully organizing a FlashMob in Canada.
World Kindness Day was not simply a day about dancing for kindness, it was about being kind!
LVI launched their Rockethub fundraising campaign for victims of Hurricane Sandy who lost their homes to fire. Now, you can help someone in need. Visit www.LifeVestInside.com/SandyRelief and make your contribution today! It’s always the season to give!
Life Vest Inside would like to thank the following individuals and companies that assisted with the success of the NYC event: Times Square Alliance, Damien Santucci, Mike Dugan and Times Square NYPD, American Eagle Outfitters, Dave Taylor, DeScribe, KIND, Rachel and Jeff Sutton, Michelle Hazan, Tory Dube, Anthony Giorgio, Bobbie Beyda, Natalie Terzi, Nathan Tawil, Ari Grunzenweig, Vincent MacTiernan (Special Effects editor and one of a kind guy), Paul Rosen, Dorrie Jankowski, Derek Brown and the entire team of Nitrous, Roy Arias Theaters, Jack Hidary, Heather Chen, Simeon Rose, Jessica Mullin, Alexandra Petruck, Steve Hopkins, Matt Van Ekeren, Marlene Massry, Jack Laboz, Pauline and Mike Wahba, and the amazing participants!
Life Vest Inside would also like to recognize and acknowledge the amazing, wonderful, and committed group leaders who have assisted us in making the event such a great success! We are forever grateful to them and feel fortunate to have worked with kind and loving individuals, who in a short time have become great friends of Life Vest Inside. They have further proven the validity of the words of Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
