Story and photos submitted by
DEBERA WELCH

Blackburn students, faculty and staff have accepted Rachel’s Challenge.

Rachel was a young girl who at a young age decided she wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of others. She believed that kindness was the way to begin making that difference.  Rachel lost her life at age 17 but her dream of touching the lives of millions in a positive way lives on through her challenge to all, to be kind to others.

Rachel believed that one act of deliberate kindness will have a chain reaction that will continue on and on.  Students pictured are holding a banner that will be signed by all of Blackburn’s students accepting Rachel’s Challenge.  Teachers and staff will be watching and acknowledging random acts of kindness, with a link for our “Kindness Chain”.

In our Rachel’s Challenge assembly, Blackburn’s principal, Mrs. Trudy Watson, challenged the students to earn enough chain links to make the chain wrap around the outside of the school by the end of the school year in May.  Students not only accepted the challenge but chanted back to her that they would make it wrap around the building twice.  Blackburn is pumped and ready for the Rachel’s Challenge, and they are positive that kindness will spread not only through the halls of the school, but into the community as well.

Blackburn is out to prove that one simple act of kindness can cause a chain reaction!

Just before the assembly closed Blackburn’s counselor Mrs. Carla Richardson awarded the first Rachel’s Challenge chain link to our 4th grade student Kyle Keenan for an act of kindness she witnessed, as Kyle helped another student.