Elementary school’s ‘The Great Kindness Challenge’ brings smiles through inspirational stickers

BEULAH, N.D. (KFYR/Gray News) - Kindness is contagious. A project by kids at a North Dakota elementary school aims to prove that’s true.

“The Great Kindness Challenge” started in the classroom and quickly spread throughout the communities of Beulah and Hazen.

All it took was some one-of-a-kind stickers and a cup of coffee.

“I come here every day for my wife,” said Duane Scheurer, a regular at The Grind Coffee Hut in Beulah. “That’s my daily chore.”

For the past week or so, his daily chore has brightened his day because every cup of coffee he buys comes with a kindness sticker.

“They are very fun,” he said.

Beulah Elementary School students made the stickers and then gave them to The Grind and other coffee shops in Beulah and Hazen.

Adding the stickers to each cup of coffee has been a treat, the baristas say.

“They’re just all so cute,” said Bryan Ronyak, owner of The Grind Coffee Hut. “It brought a lot of conversation between us. We were always saying, ‘Look at this!’ ‘This is so cute.’ ‘This is going to make their day.’ And it really did.”

The school challenged everyone who got a kindness sticker to share a picture on social media.

“The project was really fun,” said third grader Adalyn Bachler.

“It had a huge impact on our students,” said Beulah Elementary principal Amber Davison.

And it reminded these kids and the entire community of the impact of a few kind words.

“When you’re kind, it makes other people happy and it kind of makes you happy,” said third grader Aubrielle Rooks.

“If you be kind to them, maybe they’ll have a better day,” said third grader Willa Serna.

“So, people know that they’re loved,” said fourth grader Bryar Schirado.

“I think if we can instill a sense of habit with it, to be kind and showing empathy, acceptance, all those things, and if we practice that at this age, hopefully they will carry it through their lives,” said Davison.

Owners of The Grind Coffee Hut said they have a few stickers left. They say they’re already thinking of more ways they can work with the students to keep spreading kindness.

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