ANAHEIM, CA - (February 1, 2011) - February is Make Kindness Contagious Month in the City of Anaheim, as proclaimed by Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait.  For the past six years Make Kindness Contagious has been celebrated one week per year, drawing awareness to how an act of kindness can transform both the giver and the receiver.  To draw even greater attention to acts of selflessness, Mayor Tait is calling upon residents, businesses and guests to draw on this theme for the entire month, and to set the tone for building a culture of kindness.

“Kindness is a virtue we can all practice every day,” said Mayor Tait. “We all know that we are sometimes overwhelmed by our day-to-day responsibilities; this can narrow our focus to no more than the tasks immediately at hand. Yet, kindness can literally transform us by opening up our view through positive outreach to others.  I am looking forward to the many ways in which kindness can be displayed and incorporated into the daily lives of residents, businesses, and schools, and I encourage everyone to creatively and affirmatively reach out to others.”

Beginning Feb. 1, the City will introduce several resources to launch Make Kindness Contagious Month.

A webpage at www.anaheim.net will serve as place where individuals can submit stories of kindness – whether as the recipient, provider, or witness to an act of kindness.  The stories will be posted online and rotated throughout Kindness Month.  City libraries, community centers and sports facilities will encourage kindness in the form of banners, story-telling, posters and signage. 

Business leaders and City school districts are invited to share this message to their respective audiences, to apply acts of kindness in the way most fitting to that organization. 

An 8”x10” flyer is available for downloading at www.anaheim.net, to place in home and business windows, sharing the message of kindness.

The Make Kindness Contagious theme was first introduced in 2004, when then-Councilmember Tait was inspired by Natasha Sarah Jaievsky, a young Anaheim resident who sought to be kind to family, friends, and strangers.  The Make Kindness Contagious logo is, in fact, her drawing.  In 2002, a tragic accident claimed Natasha’s life at age 6, but the memory of her actions and kind spirit remain an inspiration. 

For more information please visit www.anaheim.net.
Media Contact: Ruth Ruiz 714.765.5060more city news

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ABOUT ANAHEIM – The City of Anaheim, founded in 1857, is one of the nation's premier municipalities and is one of California's most populous cities. Anaheim covers 50 square miles with more than 343,000 residents and more than 2,950 City employees. The municipal corporation's annual budget is $1.5 billion. Anaheim supports a thriving business community with companies such as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc., L-3 Communications, Pacific Sunwear, and Disneyland Resort. Successful sports franchises call Anaheim home, including Angels Baseball, Anaheim Ducks, the U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, the 2012 Olympic Games Silver Medal winning U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team, and the Professional Arena Soccer League Anaheim Bolts. Anaheim also boasts world-class meeting and entertainment venues with the Anaheim Convention Center, LEED-certified and the largest on the west coast, Honda Center, City National Grove of Anaheim, Anaheim GardenWalk, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim. In addition, Anaheim embraces its vibrant cultural arts community, including the world-renowned Anaheim Ballet. Annually, Anaheim welcomes millions of visitors to the city, truly making it where the world comes to live, work and play. For more information, please visit www.anaheim.net.

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