GiGi’s Playhouse & The Significance of Be Kind to Humankind Week!

In late August of 2021, GiGi’s Playhouse Wausau Youth Board participated in the global celebration of Be Kind to Humankind Week (BK2HK). The founder, Lorraine Jara, found inspiration to create this week-long holiday after a tragic incident in her hometown. There had been a boating accident, and two young men had clung for their lives as other boaters passed by, not wanting to get involved. One of the men passed away, and as a memorial, Jara founded this holiday to encourage people to be kinder to one another. Many popular figures, like Oprah Winfrey, Paul Simon, and multiple U.S. Presidents have acknowledged and endorsed the celebration of this event. Now, from August 25th to August 31st, the world acknowledges Be Kind to Humankind Week to help improve one another’s quality of life and encourage empathy towards others.

The Youth Board got involved in their own unique way to celebrate this week of goodwill. On the Saturday before the 25th, members of the Youth Board met to brainstorm ideas for BK2HK and created an agenda. For each day of the week, a different activity was encouraged to show the proactiveness of the Youth Board, the emphasis they have on kindness, and what impact they wanted to make on the community. The week followed as such:

Wednesday, August 25th was Wise Word Wednesday. Members chose a quote from someone who has made a positive impact on society and shared it on social media. Thursday, August 26th was Positive Post-It Notes. Taking a stack of Post-It Notes, Youth Board members wrote kind messages and handed them out to the people they interacted with that day. Friday, August 27th was Friendship Friday. Choosing someone they were grateful for, Youth Board members created an appreciation post or text message for them. Saturday, August 28th was Gift Cards For A Great Community. Youth Board members gathered at the Playhouse that morning and gave out a variety of gift cards to people at the Weston Farmers Market. Sunday, August 29th was Tie Blanket Making. Members from the Youth Board came to the Playhouse for a fun afternoon of making tie blankets. Finally, Monday, August 30th was Tie Blanket Delivery Day. A few members of the Youth Board delivered the tie blankets to the Asprius Hospital in Wausau.

Be Kind to Humankind Week was a success for the Youth Board. Each member had the opportunity to let their creative side run free and fulfill BK2HK week’s tasks in their own, artistic ways. Whether that was expressing their appreciation for the person they were grateful for or offering a stranger, who may have been having a bad day, a gift card to one of their favorite restaurants, the Youth Board found joy in performing these small acts of kindness. While it may have been a simple gesture or a positive interaction, even the smallest ounces of benevolence can go a long way. In the region where GiGi’s Playhouse Wausau is settled, kindness is taken at its face value and highly cherished. In turn, it encourages townfolk to spread their acts of kindness. Generosity works in a cycle, even if a group or individual was simply the catalyst for this ring of positivity, they are bound to receive acts of kindness of their own. The longer the cycle continues, the longer an environment remains positive, and that is a goal of GiGi’s Playhouse and the kind of impact they want to make within the community.

By Reagan Frystak, Generation G Youth Board President

To make a commitment to positivity in your community take the Generation G pledge today…the pledge to Be Accepting. Be Kind. Be Generous! Visit I Accept You!