Acts of kindness and a caring spirit have spread across the Tristate since the Sept. 11 attack, bringing together old and young, blacks and whites; all races, all colors in a renewed outpouring of patriotism.

        Some efforts are as simple as children learning the song “God Bless America.”

        Kindergarten children at C.O. Harrison School in the Oak Hills Local School District made learning the song their project last week. Then they sang it with Principal Mark Koerner.

        Other projects have been started at the school. A service-oriented Kids Care Group, known as The Youth Power Character Club, is sponsoring a change collection drive at lunchtime to raise money to send to the Red Cross and to Heartbridge Center, an agency that will be helping children deal with the aftermath of the attack in New York.

        The group will also send thank-you cards, made by students, to Engine Company 40 and Ladder Company 35 in New York.

        MILFORD — With the terrorist attacks fresh on their minds, students at Milford High School quickly organized a benefit to send money to the Red Cross. Last Wednesday, the students raised $900.

        The school's youth in government group, Hi-Y will continue the collection during lunch period each day.

        The Princeton School District started mobilizing last Monday to answer the Salvation Army's call for bottled water and Gatorade to be sent to New York and Washington, D.C.

        Staff members and students were asked to bring in the drinks. In one week, the district collected 20,000 bottles and sent them to the Salvation Army. The Kroger Co. is taking the responsibility to ship the bottles collected by the Salvation Army to the disaster areas.

        FOREST PARK — Sam and Kayla Keller couldn't just stand by and see their parents helping out in the disaster relief effort without their participation.

        They came up with an idea of how to help. They made American flags and collected a collage of pictures of the tragedy in New York and Washington, D.C. They took the flags to Tri-County Mall and started passing them out and collecting a donation.

        “They collected $331,” said Theresa Keller, their mother.

        The kids are a little bashful about their efforts, but Sam said: “My sister just thought of the idea because we figured we could contribute something.”

        The money will be turned over to the Red Cross today.

        Allen Howard's “Some Good News” column runs Monday-Friday and Sundays. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are committing random acts of kindness that are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at (513) 768-8362; at ahoward@enquirer.com; or by fax at (513) 768-8340.
       

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