A day of walking, community service and fun for all; once more the students, parents, teachers and alumni of Warwick Academy will be brought together for a seventh time of contributing to the betterment of the community at large this weekend.

The Warwick Academy Random Acts of Kindness Day began seven years ago and has been coordinated by Sharon Nannini and Stephen Thompson, along with Cindy Simmons.

Over the years Warwick Academy has undertaken numerous projects including the cleaning of beaches, repainting the crests in the Naval Dockyard, holding a huge book fair, and raising money for clothes and food for poverty-stricken people abroad.

Last year the school had more than 800 people show their support in the `March for Mihdi', where money was raised for the medical care of a child suffering from a rare, debilitating disease, as well as the `Walk for Literacy' where further money was raised to buy books for some of the schools.

This Sunday an expected 1,000 participants will walk from Somerset Bridge Post Office to Astwood Park to raise money through pledges for three separate causes. The charitable theme this year is `Children helping Children'. The first problem identified is that of underprivileged children, whose parents are unable to pay for them to attend local summer camps, and are therefore left at home alone and idle for the summer months. The Warwick Academy students feel that this is a travesty and have pledged to help.

Additionally, the school has identified eighty separate families who cannot afford to properly clothe their children in school uniforms. These parents are forced to buy improperly fitting secondhand clothes, resulting in physically and emotionally harm to the children who are being squeezed into clothes too small for them.

By working with the Warwick Academy Clothing Mart and local retailers, vouchers will be given to these parents, allowing adequate clothing of their children.

Secondly, the tragic story of a young child in Bermuda who is currently suffering from a rare disease will be assisted. The child was unfortunate enough to have been born with a rare birth defect resulting in chronic overeating combined with slow organ development. The parents cannot afford to send him overseas in order to get the necessary care.

In addition he has never had the opportunity to interact with other children who have this same defect, nor has he had specialised counselling. However, Family Services have identified a camp that will greatly benefit the child with both his mental and physical development. Through this year's Random Acts, the airfare, counselling and camp fees will be covered for him.

Finally, continuing on from last year's commitment to literacy in Bermuda, the day will once again begin with a `Walk for Literacy'. The pledges raised will allow $1,000 each to be donated to two pre-schools, Lagoon Park Pre-School and Somerset Pre-School, for the purchase of age-appropriate books for their student libraries, to continue to promote literacy from a young age.

Since its beginning in 1995, the students and other participants have been more than willing to take part, with the numbers, money raised and impact on Bermuda's needs growing dramatically each year.

When student Carlita Lodge, 13, was asked what Random Acts of Kindness Day meant to her, she commented that: "It's an event where even students can take the chance to help out, whether it be raising money, walking, painting walls, selling books, or cleaning places up. We are all up to any kind of challenge.

"This will be my third year participating and at the end, I will know that I made a difference. I can help, by doing one simple random act of kindness at a time.'' A new student at Warwick Academy was also asked what he thought it would be like, though he's never participated.

Tory Sloan, also 13, said: "This is how I picture it -- a large number of volunteers banding together and raising money for a chosen charity, while having fun at the same time. Because of what I have heard and been told, I have very high expectations for this year. This will be my first, but definitely not last, time participating.'' It has only been from the selfless sacrifice of valuable time for worthy causes that has kept this initiative alive. The whole school, and especially its organisers urge the public to show their support in whatever way they can, if possible by actually taking part in the walk, or if not, considering sponsoring someone.

This is what the Random Acts of Kindness boils down to, the appreciation that young and old alike have for giving to those who need it the most.