SHREWSBURY, Massachusetts – On February 2, 2011 two friends: Katie Kneece and Nicole Marshall gathered together to design and assemble Valentine’s Day cards for the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Children’s Hospital Boston.  The Kneece family has been creating homemade Valentine’s since 2004 and distributing them to local organizations such as Why Me and UMASS Pediatrics.

This is the third year that the girls along with friends, Nicole Fryc and Kelsey Reilly, have initiated this community service outreach project to Boston’s Children’s Hospital.  The first year the girls donated 368 homemade Valentine’s Day cards.  Last year the girls were extra creative and at the end of the day had created a grand total of 1007 Valentine’s Day cards.  This year the girls are donating 500 Valentine’s Day cards.  They had fun creating the sayings, designs and spending time together.  They hope the children will enjoy the Valentine’s Day cards as much as they enjoyed making them.

The girls are part of a group called “Leaders of Tomorrow”.  This group performs public service projects in the greater Shrewsbury areas to try to make the world a better place.  Even with every day busy teenage life; sports, homework, mid-terms, etc. these Shrewsbury High School Sophomore girls wanted to do something to brighten someone’s day.  “Sometimes something as simple as a kind word, a smile, or a card can do wonders.  We’re hoping our “simple act” will lift spirits and create memories.  We find joy in doing something unexpected for someone that wouldn’t expect it.  The time required to do this activity was relatively short but we hope the effects will be long lasting.  We believe doing something special to make someone’s day almost always means making your own day better too!”

National Random Acts of Kindness Week is February 14-20th.  What a wonderful way for the girl’s to participate by combining friendship, love and kindness in an outreach community service project for children.

Students interested in joining the Leaders of Tomorrow Groups are more than welcome.  Branches exist at SHS, Saint Johns, Bancroft, Worcester Academy, AMSA, and Oak Middle School, with more on the way.  Learn about them at their website, http://www.leadersoftomorrowma.com