'DR. KINDNESS' TO VISIT CAPE

"Dr. Kindness" is coming to Cape Girardeau.

Will Glennon, the chairman of the National Random Acts of Kindness Foundation in Denver, Colo., will visit Cape Girardeau on Saturday, May 20. Glennon has spoken at kindness rallies around the world, but it marks his first time to speak in Missouri.

The event is sponsored by Vision 2000 and the Southeast Missourian.

The kindness rally in Cape Girardeau will be held at the Westfield Shoppingtown West Park at 6 p.m., in the JCPenney court. In addition to Glennon's talk, local entertainment will perform. The program will last just over 30 minutes.

Thousands of individuals from schools, businesses, churches and organizations in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois have already signed up to participate in the local observance, which kicks off on Mother's Day and runs through May 21. This marks the fifth year for the local celebration.

Invitations will be mailed to all kindness participants. Glennon will discuss ways to bring more kindness into our everyday lives. Mary Spell, a member of the Vision 2000 board of directors, will serve as master of ceremonies for the event.

In addition, a kindness scroll will be sent around to area participants to fill with messages of kindness during the next two weeks. It will be given to Glennon May 20 so that he may present it during World Kindness Day, Nov. 13.

It was Glennon and his business partner, Mary Jane Ryan, who founded Conari Press, the small independent publishing company in Berkeley, Calif., back in 1987. Conari comes from the Latin word "to endeavor."

"From the very beginning, we wanted to publish books that impacted people's lives in a powerful way," said Glennon from his Berkeley, Calif., home. "Our slogan was to publish books that make a difference."

They had learned of the saying "Practice Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty" that was circulating in the area. When the company moved its offices, it asked those invited to the office warming party to be prepared to tell any stories of random acts of kindness that had been done to them or that they had performed.

More than 150 people showed up and stayed for hours. "We had to make runs out for more cheese and wine," laughed Glennon. The stories they told were tape recorded or typed on office computers and this became the basis of the first Random Acts of Kindness book.

As a lark, Glennon encouraged people on the back of the book to join the kindness revolution. "I thought it was provocative and might get people to open the book."

Within a few months, the small company received 13,000 letters from people who were ready to join the revolution.

The fledging company, said Glennon, was almost killed by kindness.

"It took us 45 minutes to go through the mail sacks to find the phone bill," he said. "It was impossible to get any business done because our phones were ringing off the hook with people who wanted to talk about kindness."

That was the beginning of the kindness foundation.

"Essentially, we couldn't ignore 13,000 people who wanted to join the kindness revolution," he said. Those letters were the basis for the next kindness book. In all, the company has published six of these books.

The first national Random Acts of Kindness observance was held in 1995. Each year since, the number of communities and participants has doubled.

This November, the kindness revolution spreads worldwide with the celebration moved to November. Representatives from the United States, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Australia, England and Thailand have agreed to join the kindness movement.

Previously, the national week was held in February, centered around Valentine's Day.

But Glennon said, across the country, celebrations are still held at various times throughout the year.

"This movement is a good example really of informed and facilitated anarchy," he said. "That's the beauty of a grassroots movement."

The foundation recently moved to Denver from California, and has a small, paid staff. For the first time, Glennon said they have the resources to offer foundation assistance on a professional level, thanks to the generosity of a kind donor.

Glennon is looking forward to his trip to Cape Girardeau, saying he has admired the participation in the region. His father is actually from St. Louis, but the first time Glennon will be in that city is when his airplane lands at the airport May 20.

He laughed at the nickname "Dr. Kindness," which was given to him by a radio personality a few years ago. "My kids about fell off their chair when they heard it," he said.

While he sees himself as a sensitive and compassionate person, Glennon still struggles with bad habits developed over the years.

"I'm just glad my license plate doesn't say Dr. Kindness," he said. "That's one of the places I'm most challenged to be kind."

Kindness list

The following businesses, schools, organizations, churches and individuals have recently signed up for Random Acts of Kindness Week. A full list of all participants will be published in the newspaper on May 15. It's not too late to sign up. The form can be found in today's paper on page 11A

Mrs. LeGrand's first grade class at Clippard School

American Red Cross

The Pilot House

St. Mary Cathedral School

Centenary United Methodist Church

St. James AME Church Youth Department

Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce

Jayne Kelly of Scott City

Fifth Grade Girl Scouts Troop 19 in Patton

Troop 145 at Clippard School

Circle of Hope at Grace United Methodist Church

Ken Myles Insurance Agency

Word of Faith Fellowship in Cape Girardeau

J.B. Properties, Inc., in Cape Girardeau

Solar Control in Cape Girardeau

St. Mary Cathedral School Sixth Grade

Southwestern Bell Wireless

Nell Holcomb R-IV Elementary School

Dan's Key and Lock

Nelson's Limo Service

Community Caring Council

First Grade Class at Jefferson Elementary School

The First National Bank

Missouri Department of Health/Bureau of Special Health Care Needs and Bureau of Childcare

National Cash Advance

Heavenly Ham

A Touch of Grace

Southridge Baptist Church in Jefferson City

St. Joseph School in Scott City

American Homecare Management

Nell Holcomb Girl Scout Troop 276

Mrs. Klaus First Grade at Ste. Genevieve

Bell City Elementary Health

New Life Apostolic Church Youth Class in Bertrand

Especially for You Flowers Gifts and Such in Bertrand

Jan Farrar of Scott City R-1

Scott City Middle School Sixth Graders

Friends Forever Pre-School Inc.

After School Kids Club, Inc.

Cape Senior Center Site Council

Jackson Manor

Firstar Bank in Cape Girardeau and Jackson

Oak Ridge R-VI Schools