The Austin Youth Council (AYC) recognized Be Kind Day on Friday, April 17. The main purpose of this day is to celebrate kindness throughout Austin and serve the community in different ways. While this celebration was initially planned to take place in various events around the city, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the council to take the celebrations online, making it a virtual movement. 

The idea for Be Kind Day stemmed from the Mental Health committee, one of five committees that AYC has. Those involved organizing the event had spent the past few months designing t-shirts, stickers, and marketing materials while also planning and setting up in-person events that would take place. 

“We want to inspire people to continue spreading kindness and serving the community despite social distancing,” Yashvi Reddy ‘20 said. “We think it’s especially important to care for each other, ourselves, and our environment.”

The AYC launched a promotional video raising awareness about this occasion called “I Pledged To Be Kind” that was released on all of their social platforms. You can also post about this occasion using the hashtag #bekindatx.