Toby the spokes-pup and his Million Acts of Kindness Tour, which marks September’s back to school and October’s National Bully Prevention Month, is stopping in Red Deer tomorrow for several different community events.
The campaign is spreading its message by wagging tails across North America to inspire schools, workplaces, communities and individuals with messages of kindness, workplace respect and community resilience, said Charmaine Hammond, Team Toby founder and professional speaker and author.
“We will be coming to Red Deer in the Kindness-mobile. We’re going to be having some contests like spot the Kindness-mobile to win,” said Hammond.
She added a family outdoor movie night will also take place at Bower Ponds on the evening of Sept. 3rd and residents are encouraged to participate. The event begins at 6 p.m. with the park clean up and the movie at 8 p.m.
“The event will be for families – furry-legged included,” said Hammond. “Prior to the movie starting, we are going to a park clean up as part of our acts of kindness. After the movie, we will do a 30-minute park clean up so that we can leave it cleaner than when we arrived.”
With statistics showing one in three teens have admitted to recent bullying, and 30% of employees reporting workplace bullying and harassment, the tour’s lovable spokes-pup ‘Toby’ the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and Toby’s side-kick, Hammond, are set to reach over 10,000 employees, 25,000 students, engage 100 communities across North America, and cover more than 10,000 miles in the process.
“This tour is our mission to build a kinder world – one paw, one person at a time. We have seen firsthand how Toby’s story and message, and his presence in school presentations, has provided a powerful and memorable learning experience for students. Dogs are great examples of what unconditional acceptance looks like, and how kindness to animals in fact encourages kindness to people,” said Hammond.
The tour was inspired by Hammond and Toby’s 2015 PAWS Across Canada tour which covered four provinces and reached more than seven million through media, traveled 15,000 km, visited 60 communities, impacted more than 3,000 students through presentations, provided 60 schools and 18 libraries with Toby’s books and kindness curriculum and was supported by 30 partners. Now Hammond and Toby prepare to set out on an adventure of kindness.
This six-week road trip in an RV is then followed by a three-month virtual tour, visiting communities through Skype presentations, webinars, live-streamed events and a media tour. Each of Team Toby’s favourite attractions and stops along the tour will awarded the ‘Toby Tested Toby Approved award’.
Toby will capture all these adventures on his very own GoPro pup-cam, to be used in the official Million Acts of Kindness tour DOGumentary. An original Team Toby PAWSitive Radio web cast airs live daily from stops along the way. Hammond and Toby will also be making stops to participate in acts of kindness along the way.
Throughout the tour, Hammond and Toby will present workshops in workplaces, schools and classrooms, and community events and donate Team Toby anti-bullying and kindness books for curriculum use.
Team Toby will also be raising money for school programs, shelters and animal rescue operations in communities they visit, with the support of local businesses.
“We will be visiting local schools in the Kindness-mobile and dropping off some of Toby’s kindness books and curriculum. We will be surprising some of the schools,” said Hammond. “We are excited about this tour, and the range of activities that will be happening in the communities we visit.”
Check out ‘Team Toby’ on facebook for more information.
efawcett@reddeerexpress.com
