Violence Awareness and Random Acts of Kindness |
Kindness is Contagious, Please Pass it on! |
Mark Fyke
July 1, 1977-March 15, 1996 |
About Us |
The Violence Awareness and Random Acts of Kindness (VARAK) Program began in 1997 in remembrance of Mark Fyke and in recognition of all victims of violence, especially Becky Middleton and Shawn Keegan. On March 15 1996 Mark’s life was taken while he was vacationing in Daytona Beach, Florida - less than 4 months after Mark’s death, Shawn and Becky were also victims of random acts of senseless violence. The entire Quinte community was in shock. Out of tragedy and grief came the need to make a change and make a positive difference. The Blue Ribbon of Hope to end senseless acts of violence was an idea by Mark’s sister, Jen. Jen chose the royal blue colour in recognition of Mark’s favorite sport’s team’s, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Every March we decorate the Quinte area with the royal blue bows. The bows and ribbons are a visual reminder that violence makes victims of us all and to encourage Random Acts of Kindness. With the help of many, our program has expanded to the communities of Quinte West, Prince Edward County Stirling, Frankford, Madoc, Marmora, Tweed, and North Hastings. During our kindness week we promote an awareness of the prevalence of violence in our society and how to counteract the negative effects from it. |
Our video was completed in 2005. It is a great in depth look at what has been accomplished over the years.
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