Little acts of kindness are something that can make someone’s day or something that keeps them going when they feel like giving up. There are many videos on the internet of people showing kindness to each other and, like a boomerang, it comes back to them.  

 People are sometimes just compelled to commit these acts of kindness. An 8th grader at Marrs Middle School, named Tae Gott, was compelled by his friends and good sportsmanship to pat Mercier Cerasoli, a 7th grader at Lewis and Clark, on the back and keep him going during a Cross Country Race. 

 “At the halfway mark he walked, and he seemed really out of it, I patted him on the back and told him ‘Keep going, just keep pushing,’”  said Gott. 

 At the same race, two 7th graders from Buffet Middle school, Vanessa Flores and Karsen Carmichael, saw a boy in need and decided to help him. Rowan Hill, Buffet Middle School 8th grader, got lost during a race where you had to run to the end, turn around, and run back the same way.  

 Rowan saw the runner in first place, Eli Murillo an 8th grader at Marrs Middle School, and thought he was going the wrong way, so he turned around. Vanessa Flores and Karsen Carmichael, saw him running back after he was told he went the wrong way.  

 Vanessa said, “He just looked sad and like he didn’t want to do it anymore, so we just went up there and encouraged him to keep on running.”  

 Until 2021, the National High School Federation cross country rules stated that if one runner aided another, both were disqualified. This year Rules 4-6-5g and 8-6-1e were changed so that the Good Samaritan would not be disqualified. 

 At the A-2 District meet at Pioneers Park in Lincoln, Nebraska, Omaha Burke Sophomore Blake Cerveny fell about four times before he was helped up by Brandon Schutt. It took Brandon a few tries to get Blake on his feet. Even when Blake told Brandon to leave him Brandon didn’t give up. 

 They jogged 75 meters to the finish line, Brandon’s left arm around Blake’s back while Brandon’s right hand was across Blake’s chest so that Blake wouldn’t fall forward.  

 Brandon was told to drop him, so he did but by the time he looked back, Blake was surrounded by adults. Brandon had never looked at Blake’s face so he no idea who he had helped. 

 Brandon knew about the old rule; however, he didn’t know it had been changed. If he got disqualified in his final high school race, he was fine with that.  

 Blake was disqualified a few minutes after he finished. However, due to a screen shot of the times, it was found that Blake finished in 19:14.40. Brandon’s time was 19:14.49. Even at the finish line, Brandon put Blake first.  

 It may be difficult to perform one of these kindness acts in front of people. No one is perfect but when people have integrity it can cause more of these little acts of kindness.