In 2022, Bryan Tsiliacos vowed to perform 30 acts of kindness before reaching his 30th birthday. The quest earned him national acclaim, even being recognized by People Magazine as one of “America’s Kindest People.”
Tsiliacos' goal, though, was never the attention. It was to inspire others to join in his mission.
That is why last year, when an East Bay 10-year-old said he was inspired by Tsiliacos to perform 10 acts of kindness to celebrate his birthday, Tsiliacos knew he was on the right track. He just wanted to move faster on that track.
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“How do I encourage others to embrace kindness in their decade of life? That’s when a ‘Decade of Kindness’ was born,” Tsiliacos said.
“Decade of Kindness” is an initiative to spread kindness created by Tsiliacos. Under this project, Tsiliacos awards a monthly prize of $1,000 to individuals who do something kind for others. At the end of the year, a grand prize of $10,000 will go toward someone who achieves 10 acts of kindness.
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Tsiliacos is funding the venture himself.
“I value kindness and I believe in it so much that I'm willing to take my own personal savings to encourage and recognize acts of kindness,” Tsiliacos said.
This week, Tsiliacos awarded his first monthly award to a San Diego teenager who handed out 1,000 friendship bracelets in exchange for the recipients to perform one act of kindness in return.
“Kindness has made a world of difference in my life and now I'm passionate about spreading that positivity in others,” Tsiliacos said.
