The Happiness Sprinkling Project started in May 2012 through the power of social media when a friend posted a photo on Laura Lavigne’s Facebook wall. Laura Lavigne is a founding member of the International Association Coaches, a TEDx speaker, author, and “tribe builder.” She is the Director of the Anacortes Center for Happiness, the creator of the 90-Day Gratitude Challenge, as well as the founder of the Happiness Sprinkling Project.
That photo was of a few people wearing bright orange jumpsuits and holding signs with cool messages over their heads. A conversation started, fueled by Laura’s invitation: “Hey, this is so cool. Who wants to do it with me?” People responded with such excitement and when asked what Signs they would like to hold, what message they would like to broadcast, the words poured in and on May 22, 2012 – the first Happiness Sprinkling took place. From that day on this simple project took on a life of its own.
When Chestermere resident, Karen Guider saw this on Facebook earlier in the summer, she knew it was something that just had to be done here in Chestermere. The signs were created and donated to the Happiness Sprinkling Project and are sent from place to place by the request of groups, organizations or municipalities that want to host a sprinkling. A date, time and location is decided and with that, the call goes out to anyone who wants to come out and sprinkle some happiness. Signs say things like “Be You”, “Share Yourself”, “You Are Beautiful” and many other positive and uplifting things.
Originally, the Chestermere Happiness Sprinkling was set for August 15th, but as the weather did not cooperate, the event was bumped to Sunday August 22nd. Guider said, “It was great fun and the response from passer-by’s was fantastic. We stood on the corners of Safeway, Petro Canada and Tim Hortons but moved around. When we stood on the corner by the beach we reached the most people and had people waving, honking and shouting. We had great response from residents with many stopping to hold signs and sprinkle a little happiness themselves.”
“One man on the beach even had one of our sprinklers go over and hold up a sign to his wife that said “You are Beautiful” as it was their wedding anniversary!! So touching!!”, commented Guider.
To participate in the Happiness Sprinkling Project, it costs nothing but your time and the cost to ship the signs when you’re done. You can register online to do a sprinkling, a kit is sent to you with the signs and all that is asked is that you then pass on the signs to the next group that is registered to do a sprinkling of their own.
Guider went on to say, “We are hoping to do another sprinkling in Chestermere sometime in the New Year!”
To learn more about this project or to get involved yourself, you can visit www.happinesssprinklingproject.org
