Former Calgary Flames captain Lanny McDonald and kindergarteners at Airdrie’s Windsong Heights School are on a mission to spread kindness.
Teachers at the school created the Kindness Ninja program nearly four years ago to encourage students to be contributing citizens who benefit the world by doing good deeds.
McDonald visited the school on Monday as its “kindness expert of the month,” explaining to the children how and why he gives back to the community before taking the kindness pledge.
Students initiated the hockey star as a kindness ninja — wrapping a red headband on him — with teachers saying they prepared gifts for McDonald to deliver to other children as his first kindness mission.
“They’re all these little ninja kindness warriors that show people that they can be kind and make it a better place for all of us,” McDonald said.
“Hopefully, I can live up to what these little kids are showing the rest of the different classrooms and the school and the rest of the world.”
The kids collected 96 purple blankets for Calgary’s less fortunate in an initiative called Blankets of Hope, according to teachers.
Teachers explained that the ninjas sent McDonald a video, which prompted the in-person visit.
“We couldn’t be happier to be a part of it,” McDonald said.