Black and white images aren’t exactly the norm for newspapers anymore. But a few times a year colouring contests appear. For January, Black Press Media and The Victoria Foundation partnered for a colouring contest in all the Greater Victoria papers to raise awareness of the most heart-warming kind – Random Acts of Kindness Week.
“The RAK Week colouring contest aims to get kids thinking about what it means to be kind, while doing something they enjoy. We want kids to see that random acts of kindness can be fun, personally meaningful, and beneficial for everyone,” explained Jaime Clifton-Ross, marketing and communications coordinator for the foundation.
For three weeks starting Jan. 17, the print papers of the Saanich News, Victoria News, Goldstream Gazette, Peninsula News Review and Oak Bay News will feature the half-page colouring contest. They’re also available in the papers’ corresponding e-editions online.
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The fun contests invites kids under the age of 12 to “Colour the World with Kindness” and leave a kind message for a chance to win a gift card and a donation to the charity of their choice. The Random Acts of Kindness movement encourages people to do something nice for someone else expecting nothing in return.
The goal of the colouring contest is to engage young people in projects that help foster kindness in the community.
“Through fun colouring contests like this, we aim to encourage the values of being kind at an early age, so that hopefully kids can learn to carry this kindness with them as they get older and more involved in the well-being of their communities.
The colouring contest primes the youngest members of society for Random Acts of Kindness Week in February.
Each year the Victoria Foundation encourages individuals, organizations, and businesses of all kinds to participate with acts big or small.
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“We encourage everyone to post about their experiences on social media with the hashtag #RAKweekYYJ, and to tag the Victoria Foundation in their posts so that we can share them widely on our channels,” Clifton-Ross said.
Visit victoriafoundation.bc.ca for a downloadable colouring contest image or more ideas on how to participate in Random Acts of Kindness week Feb. 12 to 17.
Do you have a random act of kindness in the works that week? Let us know by emailing christine.vanreewyk@blackpress.ca.