TULSA, Okla. — Acacia Castellanos and Sage Phelan are Green Country students coloring the world with kindness.
"Other people will be nice to you when you're being nice to them," said Sage Phelan, a student at Verdigris schools.
Acacia Castellanos, who attends a Union Public school, said, "Kindness is important because if you don't spread kindness it won't come back to you."
The 12-year-olds just met through the Parent-Child Center of Tulsa's Art of Kindness Sock Project.
"Our agency focuses on preventing child abuse and neglect, and kindness just goes step in step with that. We do a lot of anti-bullying programs, and I think it helps when our world is a little kinder. Children and adults need that reminder too," said Jennifer Legler, Vice President of Development for the Parent-Child Center of Tulsa.
That's why the non-profit created a contest and invited kids 14 and under to enter through a coloring page.
"We wondered what kindness looks like to a child. We talk about kindness to children and what that looks like to them," Legler said. "We wanted to open those conversations with parents and children, teachers and children about kindness and what that looks like and what that means."
The winner would get a $100 dollar gift card, and that design would be made into 1000 pairs of kindness socks. "Because we all need socks. Everybody needs and loves wearing socks, so part of the program was that for every pair we sell, we want to give a pair to a child or family in need," said Legler.
Schools and families quickly hopped on board.
"My art teacher gave us pictures; she said it's like a contest!" said Phelan, who created a "Be kind and heart" design.
Castellanos's life inspired her smile-covered creation. She said, "I like to tell myself every morning when I get up to smile at someone. If they're having a bad day and you see that they're gloomy or upset, smile at them, and they'll either smile back or just wave.
The Parent-Child Center says over 200 designs were submitted for this, the contest's first year. It took a team of nine judges a week to pick the winning design. Since kindness is better together, they decided to combine the two instead of choosing just one design.
"We love that the two that came together were that simple design of a smile, the words " be kind, " and the heart. Because kindness just starts with a smile. It's pretty simple to be kind to someone," said Legler.
And when the kids heard they both won, the news knocked their socks off. "I was happy!" said Phelan. "And I was so proud of myself I could not stop smiling," said Castellanos.
The Kindness Super Socks are now available. "They are $15 a pair. We have 500 to sell and 500 that we will be giving away. Simmons Bank is our sponsor, and they covered the cost of our socks and the awards. So, for every pair of socks sold, the proceeds go 100% to the Parent-Child Center to fund our vital programs and services," said Legler.
It's a big win for all, especially these two students, whose common thread resulted in a new friendship, which they say is the best prize.
"Spread kindness and give someone a smile today," said Castellanos.
You can purchase the socks through the Parent-Child Center's website here. The non-profit hopes to hold the contest again and is considering using words like courage and bravery.
Want positive news in your email every Friday? SIGN UP for our Positively Oklahoma newsletter.
