SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – 2024 is a Leap Year, and this means we all get one extra day on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 - Leap of Kindness Day.
Leap of Kindness Day aims to inspire folks all around the world to use their extra day to do something kind for someone else.
Invented in 2016 by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Leap of Kindness Day started with hundreds of area organizations helping thousands of local people by donating their time, talent and treasure to support area nonprofits, seniors, first responders, health care workers, veterans, animal shelters, etc.
In 2020, the initiative expanded with more than 200 communities in the U.S., Canada, and Ireland participating in Leap of Kindness Day. Some of the Leap of Kindness Day activities included: delivering breakfast to first responders, bringing flowers or non-skid socks to nursing homes, collecting personal care items for shelters, cleaning up trails and baking cookies for school bus drivers.
For 2024, with help from promotional partners Constant Contact and GrowthZone, the goal is to continue growing Leap of Kindness Day into a global celebration of kindness with a powerful positive impact.
Leap of Kindness Day founder Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, explained how the concept has grown over the past eight years, “In 2016, the idea was simply to get people in Saratoga County to use their extra day that Leap Year on Feb. 29 to do something kind for someone else, and by 2020 I saw posts from Ireland, Guatemala, India, and all over Canada and the U.S. where people joined us to celebrate Leap of Kindness Day in their own communities,” he said. “My favorite examples are a stuffed animal drive organized to provide the residents of The Wesley Community with a new and cherished companion and Curtis Lumber inviting customers to purchase 2 x 4s for Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties to use in a home build where the donors could sign their donated 2 x 4.”
With Leap of Kindness Day 2024 on its way, Shimkus shared his ultimate vision for the initiative. “Our hope is that one day everyone will use their extra day every four years to do something kind for someone else.”
“Stewart’s Shops is proud to participate in Leap of Kindness Day once again as it gains momentum in communities both near and far,” said Chad Kiesow, Chief Operating Officer at Stewart’s Shops Corp. and 2024 Chair of Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “We love giving back to our local community year-round, and Leap of Kindness Day is the perfect opportunity to do a bit extra in 2024.”
This year, Stewart’s is urging its partners to spread kindness by volunteering their time with three area nonprofits Franklin Community Center’s Project Lift, Lifeworks Community Action’s meal delivery program and The Wesley Community.
Here are some more ideas of how to participate in Leap of Kindness Day 2024:
    -Organize a drive for essential items and personally deliver the collected goods to a local charity on Feb. 29.
    -Express gratitude to first responders by delivering meals or snacks to your local fire, police, or EMS station on Leap of Kindness Day.
    -Dedicate Feb. 29 to enhancing a public space — a park, trail, or playground — by cleaning, beautifying, or fixing amenities in need.
    -Encourage your children to write and deliver heartfelt thank-you notes to educators, custodians, bus drivers, and others on Feb. 29.
    -Reach out to local care facilities, hospitals, senior or youth centers, and agencies assisting those with unique needs. Collect and deliver items tailored to their specific requirements on Leap of Kindness Day.
More information about Leap of Kindness Day, including additional ideas on how to participate, is available at www.saratoga.org/leapofkindnessday.
Participants are urged to share their plans for Leap of Kindness Day here.