Doing Good: Falcons, Verizon perform random acts of kindness

If you happened to get surprised at a local gas station with a gift card or your lunch was bought on a random day, you may have been a part of the Pass It Forward. The surprise and delight campaign created by the Atlanta Falcons and Verizon Wireless was launched to spread kindness throughout the Atlanta community.

“We wanted to do something that was unique and impactful and allowed us to connect with the community,” said Chris Millman, director of community relations for the Atlanta Falcons.

During the season-long program, Verizon Wireless employees and Atlanta Falcons employees, players, cheerleaders and Freddy the Falcon will surprise Atlantans across the city with random acts of kindness at various retail and public locations.

Past events have included welcoming kids back to school at Venetian Elementary School, offering free groceries at Publix, buying lunch at Taco Mac and distributing donuts at Sublime.

The bigger goal is to create a positive social movement that begins with these events, encouraging recipients of the surprise-and-delight campaign to “pass it forward.” In turn, by using the power of social media, Atlantans will be encouraged to share their own personal random acts of kindness using the hashtags #VerizonATL and #RiseUp on Facebook and Twitter.

And its working say organizers. Locals are giving back in thoughtful ways such as helping buy gas for someone stranded on the side of the road to babysitting while the parent works a second job.

“These random acts of kindness are a way of spreading positivity. You never know what kind of day someone is having or what they are going through. These simple gestures can make such a difference,” added Kate Jay, public relations manager for the Georgia/Alabama region of Verizon Wireless.

The Falcons and Verizon have a long-standing relationship of giving back to the community. Verizon collected cell phones at the Washington Redskins game on Oct. 11 for the HopeLine, an exclusive Verizon Wireless equipment recycling program assisting victims of domestic violence. Earlier this spring, the partners also raised money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Pass It Forward campaign will continue through December.

In other news: As part of its 5th annual "Salute Our Troops" campaign, Kangaroo Express donated $55,000 to the Georgia National Guard Family Support Foundation to help support military families in Georgia. From July 8 through Sept. 8, Kangaroo Express invited store guests and communities to demonstrate united support for military personnel and their families by making donations to the Salute Our Troops campaign at its checkout counters. The campaign raised more than $1.5 million, adding to the $10 million that it has already raised.