Walk4Good is Spreading Kindness One Step at a Time.

There are 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Those 2,180 miles are 2,180 chances to spread random acts of kindness around the nation. But how does one spread kindness while hiking a trail that travels through the more remote sections of the Eastern seaboard? Walk4Good has that covered. Starting in June of 2012, Christine Baker and her four-year old yellow Labrador Retriever named Jessie, with the support of Walk4Good, will hike each of those miles from Maine to Georgia in a grueling six-month thru-hike. Each mile will be dedicated to honorees nominated by individuals who have pledged support to the Walk4Good mission and completed a random act of kindness in their daily life. That’s all it is. Says Christine Baker, Founder of Walk4Good, “There is no fee to make a dedication. All we ask is that you complete an act of kindness to help another person in the future. Our mission as an organization is to empower and inspire people to practice kindness. If my walking 2,180 accomplishes anything, I hope it inspires people to look at their own lives and decide how they can become better people and better humanitarians in our local communities.” Pay-It-Forward is a premise that was popularized in the 2000 movie, Pay it Forward starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment. In the film, a young boy spreads good deeds to individuals in his life and instead of asking for a favor in return, asks each of them to help three other people. The result is a vast web of good deeds and kindness that continues to spread. Acts of kindness can truly be anything that brightens the day of another person. On the website, individuals have shared what they plan to do to Pay-It-Forward, and some have even shared photos and stories of how and where their act of kindness occurred. Some examples include sharing an umbrella with a co-worker on a rainy day, paying the toll of the person behind you on the highway or as simple as holding the elevator door an extra moment as other passengers approach. Larger initiatives have included participating in blood drives, donating time at nursing homes and even buying lottery tickets to hand out to other people in everyday life. The possibilities are endless. MORE How can you get involved? Walk4Good collects dedications for free on the website, www.walk4good.org. Click on the “Dedicate” tab. By clicking on this section, you’ll be able to fill out a form to make your dedication. An email address is required to make a dedication online, though if you don’t have an email address; many companies such as Yahoo, Google and MSN have free email services open to the public. If you would prefer to send your dedication in the mail, please send: Your Name Home town Your dedication (for whom and why is that person special to you?) How you will pay-it-forward Mail these dedications to: Walk4Good C/O Dara Onofrio, Esq. 15. N. Mill St. Suite 225 Nyack, NY 10960 The organization is also currently seeking corporate sponsorships and private donations. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or a donor, you may make a donation, or review sponsorship levels and materials on the website. You may also call 917-297-6025 to learn more. Walk4Good was formed by Christine Baker, president of CB Creative, Inc., an integrated communications consulting firm in Nyack, NY, as a community service for individuals with a common goal to spread and share random acts of kindness throughout our local communities. The organization plans to grow into a national presence in 3-5 years. The Appalachian Trail hike is only the beginning for Walk4Good. Says Christine Baker, “I really hope to see Walk4Good grow to include more events in which random acts of kindness are the focal points. I believe so much in this organization and it’s mission.” Walk4Good also has an online store where merchandise including sweatshirts, mugs, pet accessories and other fun items are sold with proceeds from the merchandise supporting Walk4Good. You can find that online store at www.cafepress.com/walk4good. Kindness is more than one singular action; it’s a way of life. Walk4Good hopes to change the world and see the benevolence and service to others in practice all across society. In the same way John F. Kennedy called America to serve their country, Walk4Good hopes society will remember to be kind and Pay-It-Forward, sharing good deeds with all of the people they may meet.

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Christine Baker is the founder of Walk4Good, Inc, and the president of CB Creative, Inc., in integrated communications consulting firm.

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