The inaugural Kind Community Week brought together thousands Monday at the Portneuf Wellness Complex in Pocatello to celebrate a virtue which is becoming harder to find in today’s society.

“We are so lucky to live in Pocatello, a cocoon where people seem to love and respect one another with greater frequency,” said Pocatello Dr. Fahim Rahim of the Idaho Kidney Institute.

The event featured guest speakers, musicians, foods, arts and crafts, and allowed guest to visit dozens of booths and kiosks throughout the large Center grounds. It was estimated that more than 2,000 people showed up for the celebration.

“This began as an anti-bullying campaign with the school district, but they wanted the emphasis to be with families and neighborhoods, as well,” said Courtney Fisher, one of the co-founders (along with Billie Johnson and Rainbow Maldonado) of Kind Community. It is a unified collection of individuals and organizations with projects, goals and objectives to foster the greater, kinder good of this community, especially the area’s young people. “We began speaking to the mayors of Chubbuck and Pocatello and many others with the same goals,” Fisher said.

While speaking, former ISU football star and motivational coach Derrick Boles was addressing a large a{span}mphitheatre crowd in the background. Fisher said that entertainment would be provided on that stage throughout the evening. She was also setting up a “Kind Concierge” ready for students and families. “It’s a great way for us to come together, and celebrate all of the activities that the schools are doing, the community organizations are doing, for our community at large, and that other individuals are trying to implement within our schools and community at large.

”This is launch of Kind Community Week and we wanted to do it at this wonderful new venue. And, oh my gosh, look around, the turnout is fantastic. This is a great crowd,” she said.

Mayor Kevin England of Chubbuck agreed. “So many great people pulled together and put this event together,” he said. “It just goes to show what dedicated and committed people can do.” His Pocatello counterpart, Brian Blad, echoed those sentiments. “Right now, during this election cycle, politics and kindness do not seem to go together very well,” he said. “But people here do not like negativity. This celebration shows that and has brought out so much good in all of us.”

Rahim, who has participated in many community and charitable events in the area, added that he is proud to live in this town, which has become ever embracing of other people and cultures.

”These kinds of events are like mirrors held up to our community,” he said. “It just reflects to kindness of so many of our residents.”

The Kind Community celebration will continue all week long and will end on Saturdaywith a scholarship drive to help children with special needs.