[maxgallery id=”149257″]

OLD ORCHARD BEACH – Campers from Oceanwood Camp and Conference Center saddled up and spread kindness in Ocean Park on Friday afternoon.

Oceanwood Camp and Conference Center, located at 17 Royal St., has operated for generations in the seaside community of Ocean Park. Oceanwood provides a variety of camp programs in the summer, including a horsemanship camp.

On Friday, a handful of campers and staff rode horses through the neighborhood adjacent to the camp and handed out letters of kindness they had created. Handwritten and illustrated, the letters had inspirational quotes and phrases such as “kindness is sweeter then a sugar cube,” “kindness is contagious,” and “laughs are the fruit of life.”

“We’re going to give them out and hope to make someone’s day,” said Ellie Hunt, a 13-year-old camper from Medford, Massachusetts.

When the group stopped at Maine Avenue, Hunt got off her horse, Skip. Card in hand, she walked over to Laura Tucker, who was browsing at a yard sale while walking her dog, Tessa.

“Thank you,” Tucker said to Ellie as she accepted the card. “Keep calm and carry on,” she read aloud. “You can’t beat that. That’s wonderful.”

Oceanwood Equestrian Program Director Jen Hayes said each week, campers are participating in a project to help them see beyond themselves and reach out to the community. The week before, campers had painted kindness rocks, she said.

“I think it’s fun to spread kindness,” said Lizzie Johnson, a 13-year-old Oceanwood horse program volunteer.

She said she especially liked the idea of kindness rocks, rocks hand painted with inspirational messages or colorful pictures and scattered throughout the community. She said she liked the anonymity of the project, because sometimes people are kind just to get acknowledged by others.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.