Kindness Counts Begins For 2021 At Newington Parks & Recreation

Press release from the Town of Newington Parks & Recreation Department:

March 29, 2021

The Newington Parks and Recreation Department is celebrating its 3rd year of the movement titled: The Building a Strong Community Kindness Counts Program. In just one year, our world has been tipped upside down by COVID-19. The Newington Parks and Recreation Department believes strongly that the Kindness Counts Program is needed during times like these more than ever. Bill DeMaio, Superintendent of Parks and Recreation, stated “the Department is going to start the Kindness Counts Program early again this year on April 1, 2021 because of the continued hardships of the pandemic. We are becoming increasingly optimistic that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We have heard about so many nice acts of kindness that occurred throughout the year and we are hoping that neighbors will nominate their friends and family for this lawn sign recognition.” The Newington Parks and Recreation Department is encouraging members of the community to do acts of kindness for their neighbors and fellow Newington residents and in return be recognized as outstanding, thoughtful Newington individuals. Some examples of acts of kindness include: helping your neighbor with their leaves/lawn, bringing them a hot meal, giving them a ride to an appointment, volunteering as a youth sports coach, and/or any other selfless demonstrations of kindness that help us build a strong community.

This year, we are continuing convenient online registration on the Newington Parks and Recreation website at www.newingtonct.gov/parksandrec. If you have not registered for Parks and Recreation programs online in the past, you will need to create a household account with a username and password, and then you can proceed with your Kindness Counts nomination. Please contact the Newington Parks and Recreation office for more information or with any questions at (860)665-8666.

Parks and Recreation volunteers will then drive out to your home and place a green and white colored lawn sign in your lawn indicating that you have demonstrated an act of kindness and it will recognize your generosity. DeMaio went on to say, “We hope that residents from the surrounding communities that drive through Newington will recognize this special program and be motivated to spread acts of kindness throughout the state. Since last year’s program was so popular, we are anticipating that the whole town will be covered with these attractive lawn signs in a short time and that being kind will become infectious. Our hope is that when a sign is witnessed in a fellow neighbor’s lawn, it will motivate other neighbors to also be kind. Our intent is to emphasize the positive attributes Newington residents possess. Parents will then have many teachable moments to deliver positive messages to their children about doing good and being kind.” If you are interested in volunteering your time to help deliver these signs, please contact the Newington Parks and Recreation office at (860)665-8666.

Since people of all ages can be part of the movement, hopefully Newington will be a trend setter for kindness in a very short period of time. “In a time of unrest and fear because of the virus, we think the Kindness Counts Program will emphasize the best in people of our community,” said Joe Harvey, Recreation Supervisor. The program begins April 1, 2021 and ends on June 30, 2021. To culminate the three-month celebration, we will invite all the people that proudly host a Kindness Counts lawn sign to Mill Pond Park on Thursday July 15, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. during the Life. Be in it. Extravaganza Bring Your Own Cheese (BYOC) Party, co-sponsored by Happy Harry’s Wine and Liquor Warehouse, to enjoy a night of fun and town wide recognition. A live concert will feature the band, Ball in the House, who are known to get the crowd on their feet dancing. We will also be hosting family train rides, an adult cornhole tournament, and will be offering a complimentary glass of wine to those who return their signs at 6:00 p.m., courtesy of Happy Harry’s Wine and Liquor Warehouse. We are strongly encouraging our Newington families to get involved. Let’s help make Newington a better place to live, work, and play. If you have any questions, please contact the Newington Parks and Recreation office at (860)665-8666. Remember, with Newington Parks and Recreation we are “Building a Strong Community!”

This press release was produced by the Town of Newington Parks & Recreation Department. The views expressed here are the author's own.