Everything to know about Random Acts of Kindness Day on Wednesday: Kids Corner for the week of 2/15/20

Editor’s note: The Vail Daily’s weekly kids section is chock full of activities and fun to keep the young and the young at heart entertained during the pandemic. If you have an idea for the section or would like to get involved, email Entertainment Editor Casey Russell at crussell@vaildaily.com.

Outside Scoop: Random Acts of Kindness

This Wednesday, Feb. 17, is Random Acts of Kindness Day in the United States. This national day is an encouragement to go out of your way and do something extraordinary that is not part of your routine. It can be anything, from a simple extra smile to a stranger or helping clean up garbage. What are some ways to be kind in the Vail Valley?

For the environment, there are numerous, COVID-safe actions for a fun random act of kindness. You can pick up extra litter around your school, home or community. Eating food from local restaurants or farmers is always great for the community, why not make an extra point to incorporate Vail Valley companies into a meal? It’s a bit unseasonal to plant a tree, flowers or vegetables; however, research good species for the Vail Valley and be ready come springtime. Maybe organize a park clean-up hour if the snow isn’t too deep.

What about around the house? Try unplugging your computers overnight if you aren’t using them or they don’t need charging. The energy used overnight can be stressful on the environment. Another crafty act of kindness, try and reuse wrapping paper or personalize a brown bag or other paper to turn into gift wrap. It’s winter, and lots of people are home reading and relaxing while enjoying the season. Make a bookmark for someone you care about, a friend, or family member. They can always be put to good use.

Random Acts of Kindness is an actual non-profit dedicated to promoting selflessness year-round, and is based here in Colorado. For more information on doing good, visit randomactsofkindness.org.

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Outside Scoop is submitted by freelance journalist Julie Bielenberg. Contact her at jbielenberg@mac.com.

Word of the Week

Learn new words in English and Spanish each week.

a random act of kindness / un gesto de amabilidad inesperado

10 ideas for Random Acts of Kindness

As you learned in Outside Scoop, Wednesday, Feb. 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Day. There are some ideas for nice acts you can do in that article, but in case you needed more ideas, here are 10 to get you started.

1. Tell your best friends why you appreciate them.
2. Help your mom or dad with chores around the house.
3. Donate clothes, books or toys you no longer use.
4. Make a gift for a friend or family member to help them feel loved.
5. Let a sibling play with your toys.
6. Use chalk or make window signs with positive messages for the neighborhood to see.
7. Leave an encouraging note on the bathroom mirror to brighten someone’s day.
8. Spend extra time with a pet.
9. Donate your allowance to charity or a local group you care about.
10. Remember to be kind to yourself, even when you are hurting.

Time Travel

Learn about Eagle County history each week.

Community gathering places played an important role in the history of every community in the Eagle Valley.

In Gypsum, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall was the central gathering place for the community. Historically, the Odd Fellows organization is a sort of working man’s fraternal (brotherly) order, dedicated to improving the character of people through principals such as love, truth and friendship. The Odd Fellows worked at improving the local community and helping those who were less fortunate. The counterpart women’s organization was known as the Rebekahs.

The Odd Fellows Hall was the result of a decision by Gypsum community leaders 1901 that the community needed a public hall. They incorporated a civic organization known as the Gypsum Athenaeum Association and issued 300 shares of stock at a price of $10 per share.

The group immediately built a two-story building on a lot west of the Lutheran church for $2,500. The upper floor served as a lodge room, dance hall and sometimes the high school basketball court. Smaller rooms on the lower floor were used for a public library, a community kitchen and extra classrooms for the county high school.

The hall was the site of frequent dances, school plays, community dinners, card parties and square dance gatherings. Over the decades, various businesses called lower portion of the lodge their home, including a movie theater, railroad office, warehouse, post office and dentist office.

A fire destroyed the original building in Gypsum on December 15, 1990. Today, what was once the site of the Odd Fellow’s Hall on Eagle Street is the location of the Lutheran Church’s Fellowship Hall.

Time Travel is researched and written by Kathy Heicher, president of the Eagle County Historical Society. Learn more about ECHS at eaglecountyhistoricalsociety.com.

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