EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) -- Following the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, people from all over are performing random acts of kindness.
You may have heard of the #26Acts movement sparked by a tweet from NBC's Ann Curry.
A local woman from Altoona along with thousands of others was inspired by the tweet.
Kelly Jo Wright teaches forensics at UW-Eau Claire. She wanted to do something in the wake of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary.
The number "26" represents each of the lives lost last month.
Search "#26Acts" and you'll see the many different acts of kindness people are taking part in, along with Wright.
"After the Sandy Hook incident, I was devastated and I kept thinking what can I do, what can I do? And there were some places you could make monetary donations, but not having a lot of wealth, that wasn't a huge option for me," said Wright who saw the tweet soon after the incident. "I thought this is something I can do."
Wright is making it a point to turn her #26Acts into a habit of kindness.
"I wanted to figure out a way to continue that through the year so one of my (New Year's) resolutions is to complete at least 26 acts of kindness every month during 2013," Wright told us.
So far, she has completed her first 26 acts and is already onto her next 26.
"Like letting someone in front of me at the line at the grocery store which sounds really simple but it really brought great joy to that person. I signed up to donate blood. I've never given blood. I'm terrified but I go in Friday to do that," said Wright.
Other ideas, she said she wants to keep anonymous.
"Some of them I want to keep secret because to me that's part of the joy, that I can do things anonymously, that I can bring joy to other people," said Wright.
Wright said one of her students wrote a message of thanks to her with "#26Acts" written across the bottom of a final exam.
"It literally brought tears to my eyes and she signed it with the #26Acts and that to me was really really special," said Wright.
If you want to join the #26Acts movement, you can learn more HERE.
If you need a little inspiration for your #26Acts, take a look at these 26 ideas:
Buy coffee for the person behind you in line
Pay someone’s parking ticket
Rake leaves for a neighbor
Leave a gift card a drive-through window
Take a homeless person lunch
Leave candy in the cable guy’s van
Send flowers to a rehab facility
Pay off a lay-away bill
Buy hot chocolate for a veteran
Pay an elderly couple’s bill
Write your kindergarten teacher a thank you note
Bill a client at $0.00.
Give truffles to a secretary
Leave cash-filled post-it notes
Leave thank you cards for your sanitation crew
Leave a surprise treat in someone’s grocery cart
Volunteer at a soup kitchen
Donate a toy to a group like the Salvation Army
Donate to a Sandy Hook relief fund like the Newtown Rotary Club
Donate to a local blood drive
Take a pet to visit a senior citizen
Give clothes to Goodwill
Praise your boss
Send a treat to a day care center
Volunteer to read in a school
Pick up trash you see
