POCATELLO — On top of encouraging kindness, a local annual event sees importance in recognizing those who have performed kind acts.

Two individuals received Kind Kid Awards at the 2019 Kind Week Kick-Off Celebration on Monday in Old Town Pocatello.

Greenacres Elementary School student Nohlan Polson, 9, did not know the act of cheering up elderly people would be awarded, until his name was called Monday and he was given a Kind Kid Award.

“They just surprised me with it,” said Polson. “I was shaking hard. I was surprised.”

When other people are happy, Polson said that makes him happy.

He said he looked forward to hanging up his award certificate.

“I can always look at it when I’m sad,” Polson said. “It’ll also make me happy because it tells me I’m a kind kid.”

Grace Lutheran School student Cade Bock, 10, was the other student to receive the award for helping raise money for Big Momma’s House, an organization that helps the homeless.

“I wanted to help the homeless people,” said Bock, who said it felt good to perform the benevolent act.

Bock had an easier time showing kindness than explaining why it is important to be kind, saying there are too many reasons to note.

As far as why Bock’s and Polson’s kindness was recognized, Kind Community co-founder Courtney Fisher was ready with an answer.

“We’re here to showcase the youth in our community and support them,” said Fisher, who works as a School District 25 spokeswoman. “And so part of that is recognizing the kids who embodied the kind mission to be kind in their classrooms, to be kind in their schools, to be kind in their churches and other activities. So we want to recognize their efforts.”

There were others also recognized Monday. Aaron and Lisa Villano of Villano’s Italian restaurant were given the community Kind Crewsader of the Year award, while Hawthorne Middle School Principal Heidi Kessler was named the education partner Kind Crewsader of the Year.

This year marks the fifth edition of Kind Community Week, run by Fisher and co-founder Rainbow Maldonado.

More than 70 vendors participated in the kick-off event. A kindness proclamation was given by Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad, Chubbuck Mayor Kevin England and the Bannock County Commissioners. Another highlight was the “Let Your KINDness Glow” dance party in the Center Street Underpass.

This week, Pocatello’s Amy’s Kitchen is donating over 7,000 candy bars to local students for Kind Community Week. There will also be kindness pledges at local schools and the “ACTS OF KINDNESS” book drive.

Kind Community partnered with The United Way of Southeast Idaho and My World Discovery Museum to have a book drive with the Pocatello schools after having a community-wide book drive last week.

Books will be distributed to more than 20 agencies, including Aid For Friends and Big Momma’s House.

Seeing what good the event is doing, Blad predicts it will continue to serve the community from “here and out” after what he calls a “successful” five years.

“It’s an event that our community looks forward to. It’s an event that’s had a definite impact throughout the community,” Blad said. “Courtney and Rainbow saw a need. They felt like it was the right thing to do. Anytime you have a couple citizens that have that dream and have the desire to carry that out, you jump behind that.”