Victim’s message of peace prevails
On Boylston Street,
BOSTON where two bombs killed three people and injured hundreds more during the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing, life resumes as normal more than two years later.
As the tragedy of that day remains etched in Boston’s history, an image of innocence prevails: 8-year-old Martin Richard, the youngest of those killed in the bombing, holding up a sign with five powerful words: “No more hurting people ... peace.”
Shortly after Martin was identified as one of the victims, the picture of him holding the handmade poster circulated around the country — his kindness offering a stark contrast to the sparks of evil that took his life, as well as the lives of 29year-old Krystle Campbell and 23-year-old Lu Lingzi.
In a TIME.com op-ed piece Monday, Martin’s parents Bill and Denise Richard announced The Martin Richard Bridge Builder Campaign, which calls upon kids, teens, and families to spread their son’s message of peace through service projects and acts of kindness.
“Martin was known as a peacemaker, he brought people together and helped to show his peers that you don’t have to be a grown up to make a difference. Kids are natural bridge builders — on the playground, at the lunch table, in the classroom — and all of their simple acts of kindness can add up to make a big difference,” Bill and Denise Richard, co-founders of the foundation, wrote.
The logistics of the campaign are simple: Swarm social media with messages of peace and images of acts of kindness using the hashtag #NoMoreHurtingPeople. Whether it’s planting a garden, creating a mural or simply inviting someone to sit at a school lunch table, Bill and Denise Richard just want kids to showcase the importance of choosing kindness over hate.
Earlier this year, 27 kids across the country were awarded a “Bridge Builder” grant from Hasbro and generationOn for creating a service project in honor of Martin’s memory. As part of the Bridge Builder Campaign, guidelines for these service projects are now featured on the campaign’s website so kids can easily implement them in their own communities.