Ron Kim Day

“ I work in a hospital with kids, lots of them without anyone who really cares for them. This one girl was getting in trouble every night because she would read past the bedtime (!) and keep the light on which in turn would keep her roommate up. The following day the consequence would be that she couldn’t order out food. Next day I bought her a book light!”

“For RKD, the Rossler Family had decided to invite us over for dinner. We however had planned to make Korean dumplings with Grandma Kim to deliver to friends and neighbors. So with Ron in mind, and his love for family, friends and food, the Rossler’s and the Kim’s teamed up and the ten of us made lots of dumplings to eat and share!”

“Vintage clothes shopping with my daughter, Nina, in Toronto, followed by a ferry ride to the Toronto islands where we rode bikes. Nina went on to meet friends at the Blue Jays game so I doubled back to buy her the winter jacket which she wisely decided she couldn’t afford. The next day she was delighted to find it unexpectedly in her bag. How often do you get to spend time with your grown up kids...nice to treat them to a surprise! ”

“As I thought about what to do for Ron Kim Day, I remembered being with him and around him. Ron worked incredibly hard at his job helping the poorest of the poor in Jakarta through the World Bank, and he was thoughtful and generous about helping the needy in our community through programs like the KDM-street kids program. In honor of that side of him, we made a donation to the Backpacks program in Montgomery County, something he might have done. But what really struck me about Ron was his commitment to and love for his family. His birthday fell on a Friday here and I wondered what he might have done. He was really good about leaving work on time to be home with his girls, all three of you. I remember him being so, frankly, excited about realizing he could walk—imagine that, walk, in Jakarta!—to Ratu Plaza. He told us he walked there with Sophie and Samantha, which amazed me. And I remember him swimming with all the kids in our pool and having a great time. In honor of this side of him, I took Tatum, Finn, and Clara to Ratu Plaza. We bought a sackful of DVDs, they ran around the circle, and we bought pool toys and ice cream bars at Lottemart (he convinced me it was cheaper than Grand Lucky). So that’s what we did in honor of Rom Kim, and I’m grateful to him: I had a blast, probably even more fun than my children. I said yes instead no for an entire afternoon. It was great. Thanks, Ron, for spreading the kindness back to me.”

“On Ron Kim Day, I was playing soccer with my friends at school and we weren’t using the ball I brought to school; we were using my friend’s ball. Some of the little kids, in Year 1 or Year 2, wanted a ball to play with so I let them borrow mine. They were very happy and I felt good. ”

“Just did my good deed for the day. I was headed to the bathroom and saw a father and son staring and pointing at a campus map. So I changed my direction and went to ask if they needed help. I introduced myself, brought them into my office, and called the coach directly that young Kevin was supposed to meet up with. Then I took them outside, showed them the way to the gym and sent them on their way. ”

“Sadly, a mom at Mimi’s school is doing the chemo/fight against breast cancer. Last spring, I signed on to send her a meal…and as I was doing it then, and signed up again last week…I thought of Ron and all of you … how much a little (or a lot) of Chinese food can mean to someone who’s just trying to work up the energy to get through the day. ”

“I made a chocolate cake from scratch for a birthday at work. ”

“I bought ice cream for strangers standing in line. ”

“A dear friend of mine recently returned home after a week in the hospital. I was very worried about her. Her family and friends were very worried about her. But she’s healing nicely, but she told me she was having trouble reading. My friend is usually a voracious reader. I went out today and bought her a copy of a terrific book I read recently, all 500+ pages. I’m not about to give up on her! ”

“Eating out for dinner with my parents and grandparents there was a magician coming around to the tables. After his trick he made a balloon, like a balloon animal, but it was a wand with a heart at the end. It was really cute. I’m 11, so I probably didn’t appreciate it as much as I would have when I was smaller. We left the restaurant and there was a really little girl walking with her Dad and she saw that balloon wand and was just staring at it. She was probably only two, or maybe a little younger. I walked up and asked her if she would like to have it. She was so happy. It made her day! It was so easy to do! ”

“This past week we had a fire at some local area apartments. Approx 12 units were burned completely and the families lost everything. I’ve donated to the local radio station who is collecting funds to give the families. ”

“I performed a good deed today. I bought Blue Ridge Kettle Corn—which is awesome—for a tennis player on my team. ”

“In memory of Ron Kim, I let the ones I love know how much I love them. I stood more patiently in traffic and gave way to other drivers. ”

“The elderly couple sat chatting pleasantly together as she searched her purse for a Ruby Tuesday coupon to put with their check. The kids and I were at the next table listening as the waitress apologized that each of the coupons the white-haired woman gave her had expired. “Oh,sugar,” she mumbled with a smile on her wrinkled lips. “No worries, sweetheart,” her husband reassured reaching to pat her hand. His eyes twinkled behind thick glasses. I quietly told the waitress I was going to pay for their meal. She looked surprised and smilingly gave me their check. I asked her to tell them what I had done after I had left. The kids and I got up to leave and they commented on how precious the children were. We bade each other wishes for a good night and we left. My 9 year old daughter peaked from around the corner to watch as the waitress told the couple what I’d done. A smile came to my daughter’s face as she saw their response. It felt lovely. Thank you, Kim Family, for generating this generosity.P. S. The waitress also got a wonderful surprise as well...a very large tip. ”

“ I used some cool fabric postcards to write anonymous appreciation notes to teachers and randomly placed them in the school mail room. ”

“Although I do not officially have to be back at campus to help organize orientation activities until tomorrow, today I was on campus and thought about how uncle Ron would surely help out even if it wasnt necessarily his duty. Today I helped the outing club at my school with organization for freshmen trips despite not having to be there. This shouldn’t be and isn’t impressive, as it was something that just should be done if I have a helping hand to offer. Uncle Ron surely would’ve done the same without hesitation. ”

“*I babysat for a busy mom so she could do errands without her toddler. I even cleaned her kitchen for her! ”

“My sister and I made a strawberry shortcake for friends as a surprise welcome home gift!”

“I gave a friend flowers that I picked out of my yard. ”

“On our way home from vacation while traveling the New York Thruway, we gave the toll booth attendant enough money for at least the next 15 or so cars. I explained to him that it was in honor of Ron and the kind person he was. The attendant promised to spread the word! I will remember him with every kind act. ”

“Ray and I took our girls to Marco Island Marriott Resort this past weekend and I spread a little Ron Kim love to the woman who was working in the poolside kitchen. I was waiting for our order of chicken tenders with this note and $20 tip in hand and struck up a conversation with her. It was Sunday and she said that it was her “Friday”, i.e., her last day working before her three-days off and I told her she must be so happy to be getting off soon after. She said she was, but also it was a little hard for her because she was alone at home taking care of her daughter who needed surgery and her grandchild, and money was tight. In spite of it she had a big smile on her face and she allowed me to take her picture. I passed her the note and tip when I got the food, thanked her, and I didn’t wait for her response to the note because I didn’t want her to feel like she was on the spot, but I did see her leave about an hour later and she was still smiling. I was so glad I chose her knowing this little act of kindness would help in some small way, in honor of Ron, and your family. Long live love. <3 :) ”

“I bought my grandpa a cup of coffee! ”

“Ron Kim Day was last week but Ron’s spirit continues to inspire me. I was having a bad day and need to do something to shake myself out of it. I looked for opportunities to help strangers to arise. I saw a woman I recognized, who has lived on the streets for some time, walking around the farmers market. I bought her some hot food. Later that day I continued the week’s shopping at the grocery store. Before I left the house I wrote “you have been chosen to receive a random act of kindness” on a piece of pretty paper. At the store, I purchased a gift card. While I waited to check out, I looked around for someone to give the card to. There was a man with his arm in a sling buying a few things. I walked over to him, handed him the card and note and walked away.”

“I babysat for a widowed mom friend. While I was there I noticed she needed some caulking done in her kitchen so I did that, too.”

“We made a donation to Foodshare in Ron’s name.”

“We were in the White Mountains of NH a few days before RKD because Ron loved hiking there. After hiking and spending time on a river we noticed several people standing over a man in the road. A motorcyclist without a helmet had had an accident and was on his back unconscious drowning in his own blood. While I supported his neck we turned him to his side so he could breath. Several minutes later police arrived followed by an ambulance. While he stopped breathing several times and never woke up we managed to get him into an ambulance. I am not sure if he lived but we were able to get him to the care he needed. Please, if you ride a motorcycle, ride responsibly with a helmet. ”

“On the 22nd, Alex and Lisa took us to see the Nationals play the Giants. As I was getting out of my seat for the 10th time to buy the kids food J, a girl commented on how much she liked my Nationals Hat. She had liked the writing on the side which was custom made from a Corporate event we had hosted a few years back. I thanked her and went off to the concession stand. On the way back, I decided to give her my hat. Her friend leaned over and thanked me and told me that this was her first Nationals Game and that they had arrived late and missed out on the free T-shirts. She was thrilled. Greer gave a homeless Veteran $1. Pete said he engaged with every single member at his work. Ron was in our hearts and minds all day. ”

“For me, these opportunities turned out to be right here at home, with my family. Even though I made sure to hold the door open for the delivery guy, allow people to enter/exit the elevator before me, or smile and acknowledge the security guard at the gate (not common occurrences in our neck of the woods), I realized that it was the people closest to me who need my mindful kindness and generosity every day and who probably get it the least. I hope I can continue to be inspired by the memory of Ron, so that little acts of kindness and generosity will spread like a wave from our home to those we come across each day. ”

“I was honored to participate. In Ron Kim’s honor, I donated to a fund raising money for a tiny baby who survived delivery, though her mother was lost. Her mom, Angela, was a terrific, kind and funny young woman and nurse. Baby is lucky to have a super sweet dad also. Together, they will bring light into this world, I just know it. And I want to support that.

”How do you spell ‘love’?’ - Piglet “You don’t spell it, you feel it.” - Pooh

Thank you Ron, for inspiring me to love more today. ”

“Took my daughter out to lunch and spent the afternoon with her talking about ways in which we can live lives that promote kindness and peace. Paid for Dim Sum for the family at the table next to us. We reached out to someone who has caused great strife in our lives with a gesture of kindness. Love you Ron wherever you are my friend. ”

“I talked to the kids about this as they were playing baseball and my son was critical of himself. I turned this to them, saying we should be kind to ourselves also. Asked them to try that for the duration of their baseball “game,” which they did. Later I gave a piece of cake to my neighbor who lives alone. Of course this should be a daily part of our lives. I appreciate, and need, that reminder, so thank you. ”

“Today I helped a new teacher place an order for her classroom decorations and found books to look at for rearranging her classroom. I also dug through the closets to find some “new” toys for her little ones to play with. ”

“I didn’t know him, but love the reminder to think of others. In his honor, I anonymously left a card with cash in it on the desk of a struggling single mom at work. ”

“ For my Ron Kim day act I helped fix a classmates computer. ”

“I found three 20 dollar bills at a local YMCA, I excitedly picked it up, then I brought it in to the office, they said if it is not claimed in 2 weeks it is my’n. No one did, so i took the money, I thought if the person who lost it, maybe he/she had bills to pay, maybe that was the last of the money they had for food that week, So thinking of that, i could not waste it, on lipstick or clothes, I wanted to spread the money as far as I could. I gave one 20 to 2 of my friends, & i kept the other. The 3 of us had to find 3 separate charitys to give to, I did this so others could feel the joy of giving away money to people in need, so i ended up giving to “puppies behind bars”, it lets the inmates feel the love of training a dog, then they give it to someone in need of a trained medical dog. My one friend gave to homeless, the other children’s cancer. Anyway, i will never do an act of kindness again without thinking of Ron, wish i met him. ”

“My mother recently fell, hurt her knee and was in the hospital for a week. Though she is on the road to recovery, she needs help to get to doctor appointments and take care of the daily tasks we all take for granted. My wife Barbara and I spent the day with her, driving her around town, taking her out to eat at a Columbian restaurant, and getting her apartment ready for the big poker game. Every week, my mother and a group of her friends play low-stakes poker, and I’m talking really low stakes. A big winner might take home $2, but of course the real motivation is the chance to talk, laugh, and eat. Her friends were bringing all the food and what better medicine is there than a night surrounded by love? ”

“Our family did a beach clean-up. Full garbage bags for everyone! ”

“In New Zealand we are already half way through Ron Kim Day. A colleague having a bad day found 3 chocolate bars in her interdepartmental mail envelope today. Will have to see what else I can come up with along the day to keep spreading the smiles :) ”

“I gave flowers to the secretaries at my elementary school. ”

“We made Ron’s special Korean dumplings and brought a plate to our neighbors. ”

“On Friday, the girls opened the door for an older couple while leaving the library. The gentleman was pleasantly surprised and then opened the door for them. It was certainly a small act but it didn’t go unnoticed :) ”

“With you in mind, and of course your brother-in-law, I just did my act of kindness. Visited a former patient who is now at a nursing home out of our area. Brought him some goodies. He was surprised to see me. I don’t think family visits often. ”

“I took a couple bags of chewies to the neccog animal shelter in honor of Ron Kim day. What a wonderful day! ”

“My “Ron-dom Act of Kindness” on Friday wasn’t exactly earth-shattering or how I’d have planned it if I could have. At first, I intended on giving some food and water to a new hippie-looking homeless couple I saw while biking to an errand (I live in a town of about 14,000, so there are not that many and most are known to the locals), but when I returned to do the good deed by going into the store and purchasing something, I discovered they’d left. So, because I realized I had to go see 2 diff. dept./org. secretaries at the University who are outside of mine (i.e., it’s not “my” dept. secretary, who’s on vacation) who both were going out of the usual routine to see me, and had done some favors or at least helped me in the past, I instead went to a local fruit/veggie stand and picked them some fresh locally grown pears, which I delivered to them as surprises when I saw them. I admit, not exactly life-saving but that was all I could think of at the time.

However, in retrospect if we expand the range by 24 hours on either end, I did realize I undertook Ron-like thoughtfulness the day before and after. Thursday I sought out a guy at a PT office near my home who had found and returned my wallet the week before, on a day I had to go to Seattle 2 hours away for a dr. app’t, that I’d unwittingly dropped in the street on my way to the store (and was frantically and worriedly searching for when he showed up on my door). Luckily, it wasn’t a big office, and the people knew who he was, and I gave him a thank-you with a gift certificate to a local eatery. (OK, more payback than random, I know. But still...)

Then, on Saturday, my wife and I took an elderly friend of ours — a former teacher and artist who is in an assisted living facility due to a stroke, and doesn’t get out much anymore — to a fundraising concert for a 15-year old boy (former resident of our town, whose mother we knew and now live a couple hours away) at a bakery he was putting on to help put him through an elite musical boarding school in Michigan.

BTW, I’m not bragging here, as I usually don’t in the end do so much directly for other people, I’m sad to say. These are things I think Ron would’ve done just on his own, whereas for me it probably takes a little more thought. Sill, it’s a nice way to keep his memory alive. Todd, Washington”