One of the most well known traditions in Easton is the Day of Kindness. The Day of KindNESS began after an OA student, Devin Ness (captain of the wrestling team at the time) died of an aneurysm at the age of 18. He was described by his friends and family as kind, genuine, and an overall good human being. This tradition has been going on since 2014, and students are excited to complete acts of kindness around Easton on Thursday, April 28th.
There were a variety of different locations that students could choose from, including J.M Pet Resort, Borderland State Park, the Fire Department, the Middle School, and more! Each location will require a different job to be completed, but overall, every student will be helping the community one way or another. That is what this day is about, spreading kindness and offering a helping hand to strengthen the community in remembrance of Devin Ness.
Assignments will be given out on Thursday morning. Seniors are required to be at the school by 8:15 am to grab their t-shirts and enjoy a Honey Dew breakfast. At 8:30 am, seniors will meet at the auditorium, and from there, community service will begin. After the community service, there will be a cookout behind the cafeteria at 12:00 pm.
A teacher who knew Devin well was Mr. Pomella, and he wants people to know that ¨this day is in honor of Devin and his incredible giving nature because he was always the person who put others before himself.¨ Mr. Pomella had first met Devin when he was in 6th grade because his sister Ashley was the wrestling manager. He also wrestled for Pomella, who was the wrestling coach at the time, all 4 years of high school. Devin was the senior captain of the wrestling team and he was always the first person to come to practice and made sure the mats were set up and washed. Overall, he was an amazing student, athlete, and human being.
¨I love the day of KindNess. I have seen so many kids work so hard on that day that I would not expect, and overall, I think it is a fantastic day for the school and community,¨ said Mr. Pomella.
The students are also thrilled to attend on Thursday, especially after seeing the other graduating classes participate in previous years.
¨I am excited to be able to give back to the community with my friends and go to the cookout after,¨ said Senior Alyssa Kiff. ¨I think this will be a great opportunity for our class to come together for one of the last times before graduation, and all of our work will be for a good cause.¨
Similarly, Ella Rivers said ¨Although I have not experienced it for myself yet, to me the Day of Kindness is a great idea and will be a very fun day for our seniors.” She adds ¨I have known the Ness family for a while now and I feel truly grateful to be able to participate in this fun-filled day in Devin´s name.”
Although the seniors have caught senioritis and continue to count down the days until graduation, everyone is excited for this event. It will be a good way to make a difference, even if it is small. I know that my siblings really enjoyed their Day of Kindness when they attended OA.