ATHOL – Rev. Cindy LaJoy of Athol’s Congregational Church was online a couple of weeks ago and came upon a Facebook notice that World Smile Day, which also goes by the name Smiley Face Day, would soon be coming up.
The event was introduced by Worcester graphic artist Harvey Ball in 1999, some 36 years after he first designed the iconic yellow “smiley face.” Ball reportedly grew concerned about the increased commercialization of his design and established World Smile Day to encourage all people to share a smile with those they meet and undertake acts of kindness.
It struck LaJoy that the annual celebration fits right in with the church’s mission of “following and modeling the way of Christ.”
So last Friday, Oct. 3, LaJoy, Dr. Rev. Candi Ashenden, and several church members gathered in front of the Market Basket store at North Quabbin Commons in Athol to greet shoppers with a smile and hand out Smiley Face stickers. For three hours, a half-dozen or more people showed up at various times to take part.
Ashenden said plans for the event came together pretty quickly and were announced at the church service on Sunday, Sept. 28.
“We rounded up a few folks to come help us,” she said. “We just thought that with the current state of the world, we needed more smiles.”
As for the store’s customers, Ashenden said, “Everybody has been great. Several people have said, ‘When I got here, I didn’t really feel like smiling, so maybe this will help.’”
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.