A campus organization inspired by the movie "Pay It Forward" performs random acts of kindness for people who need it.
A graduate student at UNM chartered a student organization called the Giving Game to spread acts of kindness among others in December.
Julie Steele, president of the organization, said she hopes to promote thoughtfulness and caring throughout UNM and the community.
"It's a fun way to perform acts of kindness," Steele said.
Steele said people can sign up on the Giving Game's Web site.
"Through the advancement of the game cards you can watch your acts of kindness have a rippling effect," she said.
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Steele said the nicest thing the organization has done for someone so far was donate a car to a single woman with four children.
"The family was well-deserving of the car," Steele said.
The woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, said it was the greatest gift she ever received.
"It was a very nice gesture on their part," she said. "I was very excited."
According to the game's Web site, once the player is registered and reports a kind act, his or her card is passed on to another player. The cards are tracked on the Web site, following the good deeds being spread all over the United States.
Steele said so far 25 players are registered with the campus organization. She said the group's goal is to spread throughout the school system and reach younger people.
Mikyta Daugherty, vice president of the organization, said members want to go to elementary and middle schools to teach children ways to be kind to one another.
"A lot of kids are mean to each other," she said.
She said the group wants to show children they will benefit from performing acts of kindness.
"We want to show them how doing something nice can go down the line," Daugherty said.
Daugherty said schools are the perfect place to spread the Giving Game because most schools have computers for the children to register on.
Daugherty said they are working with the school systems to allow the Giving Game on school grounds. She said it's difficult to get past school authorities.
"It's more of a political question," Daugherty said. "They won't let us just show up and talk to the kids."
She said the Giving Game allows people to see how their deeds have changed others.
Daugherty said the goal is to perform acts of kindness without spending money. She said the organization receives no funding from UNM.
She said it performs large and small acts of kindness.
"It's about doing nice things just because," Daugherty said.
