Conway, South Carolina is several miles west of Hilton Head. People from all parts of the United States visit or have decided to call this town, home. The proximity to the beach is the initial draw, but the people who live here are the real attraction. This town is over the top in terms of loving The Kindness Bus Tour, every other car seems to have a camera phone pointed our way as they pass by our “ride.”
Today we visited schools in Conway, with hands full of Kindness Certificates. The interest in these lifetime pledges is more popular than I ever imagined. The goal of one million of these certificates on children’s bedroom walls by the end of 2012 will be exceeded much earlier in the year.
Bogart loves the attention he gets as we travel from campus to campus. Tomorrow will be a visit to Carolina Coastal College before we hurry south trying to stay ahead of the colder weather headed our way. It was 39 degrees in the bus Sunday morning when I got up, not as cold as a few times last winter, but still a little colder than my liking.
Bogart needs an anchor about the  size of the one in today’s photo, to hold him back at times. I swear that my right arm is about 2 inches longer than my left. At the current rate, I will be able to dunk a basketball without jumping, twenty years from now.

Before heading south to Conway, South Carolina, Richard from The Community Boys and Girls Club asked that I stop and say good-bye to the staff. I was able to get a sit-down with Mr. Wayne Lofton the President and CEO of the Club. Wayne is the key component as to why this special place is so warm and welcoming. He keeps this place running on a razor thin budget. He said he is looking for prayers to keep these programs running for the children in his town. Visit their website at www.cbgcw.org to see the good they do in the community and the good you might be able to do for them.
The drive to Conway SC was mainly highway with very few schools to visit on my way. The four schools I did stop at, gave rave reviews to the Kindness Certificates and the about to be added to the website, Parent Vows. Look for some very cool additions to the website in the coming months.

Sixteen year old Kaleigh is an example for all of us. Halfway through high school and with a year’s worth of college courses already taken, she is already on the road to greatness. So here I am at the American Red Cross to donate a pint of blood and I have the pleasure of meeting this big hearted girl. It is the day after Thanksgiving, part of the four-day- long weekend, which kids have from school. Most kids and most adults for that matter are just taking it easy, not Kaleigh. She is volunteering; working for this great organization to help others. I’m betting this sixteen year old will be an inspiration her entire life. She now has a Kindness Certificate to help remind her of the path she is pursuing.
Madeline Moses is a nurse who works for The American Red Cross. Her smile can make anyone feel better, her laugh can cure what ails you. She was a joy to talk with as she made my half hour visit seem like an hour and a half of enjoyment. What a perfect profession for this comforting woman.
The Kindness Bus Tour has now been in Wilmington, NC for nine days and we have met some fascinating and friendly people in this city. It is great to stay in these towns for several days as I am able to make some connections, as I will be up and down the east coast six times in the next three years.

Everyone’s dream is a world of kindness with thankfulness. Getting together once a year to celebrate Thanksgiving can be a family event, a community event or it can even be one single person. Many homeless come to Thanksgiving dinner by themselves, looking for a hot meal and many times, just someone to talk with. Volunteers give of their time to cook, serve and deliver food to the needy and sometime just sit with the homeless when he or she looks like they just want to spend some time with someone who will listen with a caring ear. The kindness of volunteer and the thankfulness of a stranger. This day should happen every day of the year.
Bogart and I were pulling out of The Teen Center when we saw this sign across the street. It is another organization which helps kids discover their passion for what they can accomplish in this world; helping them to get through their teen years while growing into an adult.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. May the remainder of your days be thanks giving days.

Tony, the chef at the Community Boys and Girls Club looks forward to Thanksgiving every year. His talent shows when he orchestrates a meal, every year, in his kitchen, for 250 children and parents. I was invited to this annual community celebration. Watching this many well behaved children have Thanksgiving dinner and stay orderly throughout the evening told me someone at this Club is doing a very good job.
We finished most of the work on the Club’s main property and Richard said “Let’s go for a ride.” He took me to The Teen Center which is part of The Boys and Girls Club. It was another kindness project wish list. Bogart and I jumped right on it. Richard said to me that he had seen one of my signs with a logo, he commented on how good it would look on one of the buildings we had painted. The Boys and Girls Club and One Million Acts Of Kindness working together for the same goal.
A big thanks you Tony, for creating a Thanksgiving meal for everyone to remember for a long time, and a big Happy Birthday!

Richard, a gifted educator at The Community Boys and Girls Club in Wilmington NC, is teaching the children at this center about working the earth with their hands. They had just harvested their summer crops and replanted the garden with their winter crop. Richard talks with the children about how many lessons they can learn from growing a garden. He tells them about helping the environment by reducing their dependence on store bought vegetables and by needing to take fewer trips to the grocery store. He wins the students’ respect by imparting lessons the children don’t hear often enough. The children are kept busy at this center with all sorts of activities keeping their minds active and learning about what their interests are at a young age.
Richard isn’t just planting crops with kids; he is planting the seeds for the future of these children.

The most valuable lesson these kids learn is stated on the sticker.
Sow Love   Grow Love   Know Love

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Just like every holiday, so much goes into the preparation for one single day. In my opinion, Thanksgiving should last an entire week and the reason for the holiday should last the entire year.
Being thankful is a very important value to be passed from parent to child. The belief of a child, in realizing the importance of being thankful, is a guide which the child will carry with them their entire life. There will be countless opportunities for each child to give thanks to others and thanks for the gifts coming into their lives.
This Thanksgiving, talk with your family about the importance of being grateful and then decide on how you want to help others, making them grateful for you coming into their lives. May your family have the best Thanksgiving week you ever could have imagined.