Students’ random acts of kindness ‘fantastic’

A Timaru pensioner shopping for groceries was amazed to be randomly handed a $50 gift voucher by two children on Thursday.

Lex Smith said he was picking up a few things at the Countdown supermarket on Church St when he was approached by ‘‘two wee girls’’ offering him the gift.

‘‘I thought they were having me on. I asked a Countdown staff member if it was real.

‘‘It was fantastic, I couldn’t believe it. It made my day. I nearly shed a tear, it was lovely.’’

The girls were two of eight Bluestone School pupils dressed festively handing out the vouchers in the supermarket and car park as part of their citizenship acts of kindness.

The school’s 139 year 7 and 8 students raised $3500 through a 30-minute walkathon and randomly gifted $500 in 10 vouchers. They also have 16 charities and organisations they want to contribute to.

Smith said it will just be him and his old dog, Missy, for Christmas, and he may go fishing.

‘‘She’s 15 slightly blind, deaf and has arthritis but she still gets about.’’

The voucher will mean he can buy some treats such as a Christmas pudding, fruit salad and cream.

‘‘I don’t usually buy them, it’s hard living on a pension.’’

Another grateful recipient was retiree Malcolm Broad who said he would put his voucher towards the grocery bill for his family Christmas.

Fiona Sugrue said the voucher was a ‘‘really nice surprise’’ and it would go towards Christmas treats.

Bluestone teacher Nicole O’Sullivan said the children wanted to randomly give out the vouchers.

They will also give morning tea to emergency service personnel and are busy buying pet food and pet toys for the SPCA and CBay vouchers for some students at low decile schools in Timaru.

One of the students’ next port of call, once its organised, will be bringing some cheer to the children’s ward at the Timaru Hospital, she said.