Secret Santa: Trying to fan the random-acts-of-kindness flame

BY Josh Kerns  on December 19, 2011 @ 11:23 am (Updated: 12:17 pm - 12/19/11 )

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Can the spirit of a secret Santa spread beyond paying off presents at retail stores? Seattle's Morning News pushes random acts of kindness in new challenge. (Image courtesy Peapod Apps) | Zoom
It's become a new, heartwarming holiday trend this year: strangers anonymously paying off layaway purchases at retailers like Wal-Mart. But will it spread? The Seattle's Morning News team is trying to light the spark.

97.3 KIRO FM's Linda Thomas issued a challenge to listeners and fellow co-hosts Bill Radke and Tom Tangney to practice their own random acts of kindness. But each took a decidedly different approach.

"I went to Fred Meyer and bought 5 gift cards, because my thought is you can buy groceries there, you can buy clothing, you can buy toys," says Linda.

She says she gave the cards to a principal at a South Seattle school where she knows there are a number of families in need, and asked him to anonymously pass them along to those he thought would benefit most.

Linda won't divulge the amounts. "It's really not about me. The idea is to inspire other people."

Bill says a day of fun gave him his inspiration. After shopping at University Village and seeing the Nutcracker at Pacific Northwest Ballet, he was reminded again of how fortunate he is.

"So we went to QFC and got a gift card and went down to Noel House, the women's shelter there. We chatted (with someone standing in the front door) and I told her if she knew someone who needs it more, please pass it on, otherwise have a Merry Christmas all the same," Bill says.

In typical Tangney fashion, Tom spent plenty of time philosophizing about the best way to practice his random act of kindness. He thought about lurking outside a toy store and offering some money to a mom going in. "But I realized it came off kind of a little cheesy or creepy," he says.

Instead, Tom says he went for the most random approach possible. He blindly chose a county, then randomly picked a name out of the white pages and anonymously sent them a card and some cash.

"Who knows who it's going to go to. Was it somebody needy or deserving? It doesn't really matter. It's the randomness of the act that I found interesting."

"It felt good. I would suggest to listeners there if you have an extra buck, it's a fun experience," says Bill.

It just might be enough to get them to pay it forward and perhaps a spark can become a flame.

Josh Kerns, MyNorthwest.com Reporter
Josh Kerns is co-host of KIRO Radio's Seattle Sounds (Saturday nights 7-8) and a digital content producer for MyNorthwest.com.
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Comments (3)


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  • DanQ wrote...
    It works..
    December 19, 2011 1:08 pm
    31 years ago my young wife and I were traveling across the country by bus. We had a layover in St. Louis and walked to a nearby (and very austere) hotel. Though I had enough cash to pay for a night, the clerk would not provide a room because we did not have a major credit card. The only suggestion was to try one of the hotels that rented rooms "by the hour". A business man waiting in line at the front desk overheard the conversation and in an incredible act of kindness presented his credit card on our behalf. Moreover, he would not accept our cash offer to cover the cost of the room; he would not give us his address so we could send payment later. His only request was that we "repay this" to someone else when we have the opportunity and are able, which I promised to do. I have since forgotten his name, but I will never forget his random act of kindness and trust. I have kept my promise. Merry Christmas
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    Or.
    December 19, 2011 11:22 pm
    Just do it and don't pooter toot about it.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cdbtx wrote...
    Here's a novel thought
    December 20, 2011 5:24 am
    Take it to the next level - perform a good deed, an act of generosity and NEVER TELL A SOUL about it.

    We tend to perform acts of generosity as a sign that we're a good person, we need and want the attention.

    What about performing the same act because it's simply the right thing to do?

    Try it - what you'll discover is something changes inside of you, don't tell you spouse, your children, your friends. You'll probably never know the results of your actions.

    The impact though is huge - and you just might find that in the end, you actually gained more from your actions than the person you helped.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }