Make wishtv.com your home page

Pat McAfee joins WISH-TV tradition of spreading cheer on Random Acts of Kindness Day

   INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Friday, Feb. 17 is National Random Acts of Kindness Day (RAK), and WISH TV got involved with the help of a former Colts player.

24-Hour News 8’s Joe Melillo spent his morning continuing the tradition of spreading random acts of kindness throughout Daybreak. RAK is a day everyone can get involved in and celebrate the “pay it forward” mentality.

Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee helped WISH-TV pay it forward.

Melillo stopped by McAfee’s house Friday morning with doughnuts, after McAfee said he wanted to participate in RAK with WISH-TV.

McAfee helped spread cheer in many ways. One way was through his kindness and humor; another way he participated was when he gave Melillo $300 worth of gift cards to pass around to people in Indianapolis.

It was a blast having him on WISH-TV!

Additionally, Mellilo continued to spread kindness around Indy.

He surprised a man with a free cup of coffee at Starbucks, paid for two people’s meals at the Donut Shop on 56th Street, and then he went to Community East Hospital with Random Acts of Flowers. Melillo brought McAfee’s donated gift cards to the Oncology department, where two patients got flowers and I-Tunes cards.

RAK started in New Zealand, according to the Random acts of Kindness Foundation. That Foundation, located in Denver, says anyone can be a ‘RAKtivist,’ which is short for ‘random acts of kindness activist’. Think of RAKtivists like kindness ambassadors, and like all ambassadors they are a part of an active, global community.

“Random Acts of Kindness Week (#RAKWeek2017, Feb 12-18) is an annual opportunity to focus on the good and unite through kindness. Formally recognized in 2000, this seven-day celebration demonstrates that kindness is contagious and it all starts with one act-one smile, one coffee for a stranger, one favor for a friend, one movement for one thing: kindness,” said Kelsey Gryniewicz, communications director with the Random Acts of Kindness Organization. “It’s simply an opportunity to leave the world better than we found it and inspire others to do the same. Post your pay-it-forward moments on social with #RAKWeek2017 and visit the Kindness Generator at www.randomactsof.us to discover and record your acts!”

If you can’t participate in the day, you have another opportunity to on Nov. 13, which is known as World Kindness Day! So just wait a few months and try again.

On social media you can get involved with the hashtags #RAK or #RAKweek2017.

Join the discussion on Facebook.

Watch Melillo and McAfee spread kindness in the videos above!

Never miss another Facebook post from WISH-TV