Heart shaped frosted sugar cookies and a heart shaped center cut out that said everything: “LOVE" lined every table.
Pastor Eric Fisher of Spring Hill Bethany Baptist Church led the crowd in prayer before dinner was served. Grilled chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, green beans, dinner rolls and salad were on the menu for the evening.
As the serving lines thinned and bellies were filled, the fourth grade classes took the stage to belt out poems and quotes about kindness and how those simple words can mean so much to others. Next, the eighth grade music class took the stage and sang beautifully as the crowd engaged by standing and clapping along. After the singing group had completed their ensemble, two high school band students each played an acoustic piece with guitars. The last entertainment for the night was given by a very talented young man, Garrison Brown, who played a remarkable rendition of a John Legend song on keyboard.
The next part of the event was the raffle. Items that were donated by individuals and businesses alike were raffled off by students pulling names at random. Beautiful hand made wreaths, handcrafted signs, and hair cuts donated by local hair stylists were among the materials given to winners.
As the evening came to a close, Debbie Howard, mother of the late Brooke Howard took the stage to give thanks on behalf of her family to the community for their participation, donations and hard work throughout the event. She spoke encouraging words about how being kind can make someone's day or even change a life.
"We need to practice kindness everyday. Kindness can be as simple as a smile, opening a door for someone, giving someone a compliment, sitting with someone at lunch or playing with someone on the playground, especially if they look lonely or sad. We never know what kind of day someone is having, but a simple act of kindness can go a long way. It could even change someone's life," Howard said.
All proceeds from the Heart of Gold Kindness Event go toward the Brooke Howard Memorial Scholarship Fund.
