'26 Acts Of Kindness': Ann Curry's Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting Tweet Spurs Online Campaign

By Howard Koplowitz | December 18 2012 11:22 AM

In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in which 20 children lost their lives, an online campaign spearheaded by Ann Curry has grown into “26 Acts of Kindness,” an initiative to give back following the Newtown, Conn., tragedy.

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In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in which 20 children lost their lives, an online campaign spearheaded by Ann Curry has grown into “26 Acts of Kindness,” an initiative to give back following the Newtown, Conn., tragedy.

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“Imagine if all of us committed to 20 mitvahs/acts of kindness to honor each child lost in Newtown. I'm in. If you are RT #20Acts,” Curry tweeted Sunday.

Curry’s original goal of completing 20 acts of kindness has since grown to “26 Acts of Kindness” in tribute to the 20 children killed and six adults murdered on Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary. Twitter users are documenting their good deeds with the hashtag #26acts. Some have spread the goal to 27 acts, counting Nancy Lanza, the first victim and the mother of shooter Adam Lanza. Nancy Lanza was killed in her Newtown home, not in the school.

Since sending her tweet, Curry’s Twitter page has been flooded with responses from those who have participated in “26 Acts of Kindness.”

Francesca Luongo, an actor, model and singer, said she “delivered over $2,000 worth of toys for homeless children,” as part of the “26 Acts of Kindness” initiative.

Twitter user Kelly Maroney said she “surprised construction workers on a cold, rainy day with hot coffee.”

Colorado resident Kurt Needle said he “gave my $300 Amex Costco rebate check to a young couple with 3 young kids. They just moved back to CO [Colorado.]”

Twitter user Nancy Shin also got in on the “26 Acts of Kindness” campaign by buying 26 pairs of socks for radiation treatment patients.

Even those without the financial means to participate are finding other ways to help.

“I can’t help anyone financially, but took my sweet dog to visit with my blind next-door neighbor,” tweeted Kaye Steger.

Others are trying to get involved with “26 Acts of Kindness” by doing a good deed that is related to the Newtown shooting.

“I don’t earn much, but donated 10% of this week’s paycheck to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI is dear to my heart,” wrote Twitter user @PointedApt.

The role mental illness may have played in the tragedy is one of the most talked about topics, coupled with gun control, in the aftermath of the shooting.

Adam Lanza, 20, was said to have suffered from Asperger’s syndrome or a personality disorder. But Asperger experts were quick to point out that the disorder is not characterized by violent behavior. The shooting also sparked a debate about how the nation deals with mental illness.