While on vacation in Nevada, Utah, and California with my two teenage boys, we were happy to spread joy to others via ARG’s Random Acts of Kindness. We decided we would do something for others while in each state. It was a great opportunity to share with my kids and it definitely made them pay more attention to others and the world happening around them.
Below are the highlights:
In Nevada, we paid for a lazy river inner tube for a little girl in line behind us who did not want to take turns sharing one with her brother. The parents were not happy at the steep $25 per inner tube price, so we paid for an extra one and my youngest son had the pleasure of handing it to her. The parents were thankful and happy we resolved the bickering between their kids too!
In Utah, we decided to pay the National Park Entrance Fee for the first car behind us that did not have a weekly pass or an America The Beautiful National Park annual pass. We did this at Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park. At Zion National Park the family followed our car to the Visitor Center to thank us. They were from Europe and it was fun to explain ARG’s RAK program to them.
In California, we continued this tradition at Sequoia National Park and at Yosemite.
During a 3 hour hike to Vernal Falls at Yosemite, we saw a grandfather hiking with his daughter and grandkids. He was as excited as me at the views and we took group pictures for them with his camera. I was so impressed he was doing this hike – it was not easy! On the way down we saw them again and he asked where we were from and said: “Turn around and see the view.” He was living life and loving it! Later that evening we saw them at a pizza restaurant and paid for their dinner. It was fun to tell him about ARG’s RAK program and spread happiness on their special family trip.
While driving down the Pacific Coast Hwy #1, we appreciated the hard work the firefighters were doing to save homes and people from the fires in Carmel Valley. We decided to donate the remaining funds while in Monterey to a group of kids doing a bake sale to raise money for the local firefighters who had kept the fires from their neighborhoods. Their smiles were contagious!
– Kim Vinyard
