KC UPDATE

Its always crazy to realize how quickly time flies. When I go to write these blogs, I realize how much time has gone by and I feel so bad!!! However, in light of the last couple months, its hard to feel bad about anything relating to Kind Campaign. I cannot begin to express how thankful I am for this project, the change it is making and all of the people involved.

Anyway, here is a rundown of some important things that have been going on and I PROMISE we will be better about posting from now on!

Editing has been so fun! Me and Vegard are working really well together and just this last week have restructured how we are approaching the story a bit. The new idea works so much better and will make for a better film. I wasn't sure what the editing process would be like with so much footage, or how hard it would be to create a story out of so many smaller stories...but...it's happening and its working and the only issue we are running into is having too much good footage to choose from...not a bad problem to have :)

A few weeks ago, Molly and I went down to Palm Desert to watch the Young Woman Ambassador groups present their Kind Campaign projects. To be honest, I dont know that Molly or I knew exactly what was going to take place that night. What we ended up witnessing was about 50 girls who have taken Kind Campaign and created their own projects/versions of KC to

integrate the movement into their own schools and communities. The girls put so much time and work into their projects. There were multiple times where I couldn't help but tear up because of the overwhelmingly honored feeling I had while sitting in that room. They created their own mini-documentaries, had KIND week at their schools, had their whole student body dress in pink, created their own version of Kind Magazine...there were so many amazing projects. I think Molly and I left with some new ideas because their projects were so innovative! It was

just so crazy to see how a seed was planted and how its branches are extending into schools and communities in this way. The fact that we weren't even aware that there were Kind weeks taking place in schools to celebrate Kind Campaigns message...yea, I really dont know how to describe how happy that makes me.

This Friday, Fred Segal Santa Monica is hosting a Kind Campaign fundraiser/awareness night!!!!! We installed an installation into the store last week to raise awareness and funds, so the event is also serving as an official launch for the installation. (if you live

around santa monica,

CA, go check out the installation- it will be there until May 6th) We are going to have a lot of cool things going on at the event- a silent auction, live music from Samantha Marq

and Nicole Vaughn, drinks, documentary footage, the installation, merchandise, and of course, Molly and I will be speaking about our upcoming plans for the film and school program. Which brings me to the next important bit of information!!!....

Once we put word out that we are going to launch our school program this Fall we received insane amounts of emails from teachers and schools all over the country wanting us to come speak and screen the film. We realized trying to go to all of these places is going to be hard unless we go back on the road. Sooooo that is what we are doing! This September-December we are going on a Kind Campaign road trip 2.0 to hit hundreds of schools and screen the film around the country. It will be an amazing 4 month journey and we are ready for it!! One of the major goals of this project has been to provide these school assemblies and to offer them FREE OF CHARGE. We have began planning the logistics of our schedule but now have some serious money to raise to over the next few months to make this all happen. It will happen though... I have realized when Molly and I put our minds to something, it happens. end of story :) Anyway, I cannot WAIT to get back on the road and hopefully go visit some one of the schools we met with on our first KC road trip. A new adventure awaits!!!

I think one of the most important things to mention right now is the suicide of Phoebe Prince. Her death is a grave reminder of the fatal consequences of girl-against-girl "crime", but even further, its a reminder to ALL OF US that THE WAY WE TREAT OTHERS does have CONSEQUENCES. I feel for her family and everyone in her life. I wish she knew she wasn't alone and that she would be okay. There isnt much I can say because its honestly so upsetting to think about... All I can hope for is that her death will be a wake up call for a lot of people. Check out this link to read more about this story: http://www.truecrimereport.com/2010/01/phoebe_prince_15_commits_suici.php

LOVE WINS.

Lauren