WATERLOO – Just over two years ago, The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation embarked on a simple, yet extremely meaningful initiative called Random Act of Kindness Day.

The day has been an invitation for individuals, schools, community groups, service clubs, businesses, healthcare institutions, and churches to join hearts and hands to celebrate the kind and friendly community in which we live.

“Random Act of Kindness Day has been an amazing success with people from all walks of life performing small, simple, kind deeds,” says Rosemary Smith, CEO of The KWCF. “It’s been a great way for our local community to return to a time when we paid more attention to our neighbours and did those little ‘niceties’ that really made people feel like they belonged to something special.”

Now that special feeling may be felt right across the country – with a possible $25,000 grant from Pepsi.

Early last year Pepsi launched the Pepsi Refresh Project in an effort to foster innovation for the social good. Pepsi announced last April that they would give away over $1 million dollars to help fund Canadians’ ideas for moving the world forward in a positive way. Pre-selected finalists are identified on the project’s website, www.refresheverything.ca, and individuals are encouraged to vote for their favourite ideas online.

Every other month, 10 grants will be awarded by Pepsi to the ideas that secure the most votes from Canadians.

The KWCF recently sent in an application for Pepsi’s upcoming grant session to help grow Random Act of Kindness Day across Canada. The application was selected as a finalist and is currently the only idea chosen from this region!

Now The KWCF is looking for help from the community. Votes can be made daily starting January 4th for favourite Pepsi Refresh Project idea(s) by visiting www.refresheverything.ca.

To cast a vote to grow Random Act of Kindness Day across Canada, visit refresheverything.ca. Click on “Vote for this idea.” A request to sign in will occur and then you can vote!

In addition to voting daily, supporters can also share this information on social media accounts such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Voting ends February 28th.

Spreading Random Act of Kindness Day across the province and the country is a dream of The KWCF. “We know that we are truly blessed to live in such an amazing community where so much thoughtfulness and compassion happens every day,” shares Smith. “With a grant from Pepsi, our hope is that people from all across Canada will take a day to slow down just a little and recognize when someone does something nice for them – and then pay that thoughtfulness forward.”