Every year One Million Acts of Kindness Week keeps growing in new ways. This year’s event has inspired me to grow this event by convincing corporations to take part by having their  employees get involved in this important week.
My biggest inspiration for this is because of the participation of Life Care Centers of America. Paul Zani has been my contact person every year since the inception of this event, he is the catalyst for growing this to all 7,500 employees and 4,000 patients at 30 of his Life Care Centers of America facilities.
A big, One Million Acts Of Kindness debt of gratitude goes out to Paul Zani and everyone at LCCA for helping to inspire me to reach new heights with One Million Acts Of Kindness Week.

Every now and then I have writer’s block and have a hard time picking a topic or just the right words to write in my blog. Thoughts do finally come to me and inspiring words are shared. This was not the case today. I was at a complete loss of words and didn’t stroke a single letter on my keyboard. Even though I had a very busy day, it was as if nothing happened, so I decided to give it an overnight rest.
Freshly rested and ready to take on a busy day, I then realized that one of the most powerfully inspiring things happened to me yesterday, since the beginning of The Kindness Bus Tour, and I completely missed it. It could quite possibly be, because it was such a simple gesture.
While resting for a bit on The Kindness Bicycle at a street corner, a boy of about 13 years of age approached me. “Can I make a donation to you,” he said. I try not to interact with kids unless an adult is present, but this young man was wanting to help. He was reading the, ‘Riding for Wounded Warriors’ sign as he walked up. “I only have a quarter, it’s all I have,” he continued. “There are people who need this quarter more than me.”
Everything I am trying to accomplish with One Million Acts Of Kindness is personified in this young man. He is the kind of individual who has been nurtured in kindness and it is reflected in his actions. Every one of us could learn from the this very caring, boy with a quarter.   Today’s picture is of Army Sergeant,  Tyrone with The Kindness Bicycle for Heroes. We were attending the Salute to Veterans dinner/dance at the VA Los Angeles Medical Center.

Having a longer amount of time to complete the 4,000 Mile Kindness Bicycle Ride for Heroes has reduced my daily ride lengths, allowing me to interact with more people during the course of the day. This I love!!
It is all about the people when you are off on a ride like this. I have met large numbers of all five branches of the military, their families and friends. It is a very proud, patriotic family.
Elizabeth, from North Carolina, who I met this morning, is a very involved Wounded Warrior supporter. She was brought up in an Army family. When she spotted The Kindness Bicycle, she circled the block to come back to talk with me. A good friend of hers is a Wounded Warrior and she wants to do her part to help as needed.
Rob and Amy a young couple who understands the importance of my mission, she works with preschoolers and he with college students, are contacting me to help with One Million Acts Of Kindness Week 2013.
Beth, the General Manager at Marmalade, a local restaurant, offered great words of inspiration and support.

Thank you to one and all, who helped to make this year’s One Million Acts Of Kindness Week a huge success. With the help of many of you, this week continues to be an annual event. I couldn’t do it without you. My sincere gratitude.
From Bangladesh to Australia to India, the interest in this week is continuing to grow globally. In the US, schools, businesses and organizations are participating in growing numbers each year. One of those businesses, Life Care Centers of America, participates every year. Their business grows every year, adding to the totals of their level of participation. My contact, Paul Zani, is a very big help in making this happen each and every year. Thank youPaul!!
Next year, we are shooting for the sky for One Million Acts Of Kindness Week 2013.
Today’s photo was taken by Jaye Azoff. It is my favorite b&w photo of The Kindness Bus Crew.

I have yet to figure it out, but nearly everyone rides their bicycle faster than I. Discounting the streamlined aerodynamic features of The Kindness Bicycle, I am still one of the slowest cyclists on the road.
Near the end of my “century” ride yesterday, I was stopped by Steven Carre, a Marine, who spotted the WoundedWarrior sign on the bike. During our powerful conversation, Steven also told me he owns a bicycle shop, called Bike Effect. He looked at The Kindness Bicycle and told me he would like to make it ride as good as it was designed to perform.
This morning I stopped by Bike Effect. www.bikeeffect.com A large group of cyclists was assembling for a road ride. Steven introduced me to many of these great men and women. I also had the pleasure of meeting Alison, the other owner, Larry, who was assigned the honor of masterfully transforming The Kindness Bicycle to like-new condition and Scott, one of the other professional mechanics. The Kindness Bicycle was the “beast” among these high tech, precise machines the other riders were sporting. I saved face with saying to one of the riders, “just as it is with life, it’s not about the equipment you have, it’s what you do with that equipment.”
During my day of “recovery,” I stopped at a very popular outdoor workout areas in this town. It is a place of very fit people. I took The Kindness Bus and just let things unfold on their own. Some incredible conversations took place. Two of the most important were with local teachers. Toby, a local 1st grade teacher says she is always looking for great programs to bring into her classroom; One Million Acts Of Kindness fits the bill she said. Noelle and her friend Amy stopped by. Noelle is a former school counselor. She now teaches kindergarten and was tickled pink over the Kindness Certificates and One Million Acts Of Kindness Week. If both of these teachers “run with the kindness ball,” great seeds of kindness can take hold in their students lives. I love letting kids know that they are part of “The Kindness Generation.”

On a scale of 1-10, today was a 12.
My day started in the early morning hours, with my weekly call to Bill Bennett’s Morning in America radio show hosted by Seth Leibsohn. This program has a huge national audience and is sensational way to get the word to everyone about the real Heroes in today’s society; Wounded Warriors & Police and Firefighters killed in the line of duty. What a nice interview by Seth as he allows me to give his audience weekly updates.
If you had to pick the weather for a “century” ride, today’s weather was just that, perfect! I rode for 13 hours and went 101 miles. I will always ride an extra mile on a “century,” just in case the newly calibrated odometer is off by a little. This ride, without a doubt, was the most powerful ride I have ever taken on a bicycle. So many cheers, so many people applauding and so much interest in this ride and who it was for, made me realize the unbelievable interest in those who are Wounded Warriors.
If you are looking for a cause to get involved in, one of the best causes you will find is for those who protect our liberties and freedoms. Wounded Warriors need you!!! I’m hoping the same enthusiasm I was met with on my ride will be representative, of those of you who read this. Thank you for what you will do for Wounded Warriors, moving forward.
A wonderful photograph of me carrying The Kindness Bicycle down a flight of stairs, taken by Kibiwot Limo, made its way to the front page of the Santa Monica Daily Press.

The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Center has over one thousand volunteers who give of themselves to veterans who have given so much of themselves. Marianne Davis is coordinator of those one thousand volunteers and when she heard about The Kindness Bicycle Ride for Heroes, she insisted that I come to the dinner/dance and bring The Kindness Bicycle for all to see.
The roomful of Veterans, family members and caregivers were all smiles and so complimentary. 25 Bruin Belles an All Girls Service Association from UCLA were there to help with the greeting of all attendees and created some wonderful party favors. One of my favorite moments was when two veterans, Richard and George, pictured above, were on the dance floor dancing with at least a dozen Bruin Belles, smiling from ear to ear.
Tyrone, a Sergeant in the Army had recent surgery on his foot and you never would have known it, as he was on the dance floor for every song. Even the less medically complex surgeries are still needed to be performed with perfection.