by Alex Sabatini
This year we at Longwood University honored Bill Stuart in the 6th annual 44 for Bill. On September 9th, 2012 Longwood University lost its very first professor for the Communications Department. Bill Stuart was an amazing human being that touched the lives of many students and faculty members during his thirteen years at Longwood University. One friend went so far as to say he spread love on everything he touched.
44 for Bill is the annual event that Amy Stuart, Bill’s wife, created after he passed away. On September 9th every year students are challenged to perform a random act of kindness in Bill’s memory. Amy created this event to continue to spread the love and positivity that Bill spread throughout his life. Being that he built Longwood’s communication department he called himself the “Comm Father”. Even to those who did not have the pleasure of knowing Bill Stuart he is still a part of our lives and our experience in the communications department. The students within the communication department know this day well. The current professors do well to inform the students of what it means to participate in 44 for Bill. These acts of kindness can be as small as holding a door from someone or giving someone a random compliment or as large as donating to charity or doing some community service.
Amy and her children dedicate their entire day each September 9th to 44 for Bill. Each year Amy will take out a certain amount of money that goes toward performing her acts of kindness. This year she split it up among each of her children and told them to see how many nonperishable food items they could purchase for that amount of money. She made it into a fun competition for her children and was able to donate food to those in need.
Amy’s favorite 44 for Bill was about two years ago. Amy had someone wave her down to inform her that one of her brake lights was out. She immediately took her car to the shop to have it fixed. As she was waiting on the repair a technician came out to inform an elderly woman that her car would not pass inspection due to her brakes. The woman asked how much it would be to fix and after hearing the price told the man, she could not afford the repairs. Amy knew then that Bill was placing her act of kindness in front of her because the amount of money it was going to take to fix the woman’s breaks was the exact amount Amy had taken out of the bank for her 44 for Bill. After seeing firsthand the power of this annual event, the service cashier then chose to make his 44 for Bill be covering Amy’s cost for the repairs on her vehicle.
44 for Bill is a special day where people remember the wonderful man Bill Stuart was and, in his memory, we commit random acts of kindness. For those who think it stops there, they are missing the point. These random acts of kindness are meant to spread like wildfire so that it extends past 44 for Bill and into our everyday lives. September 9th is just a reminder to do what we should be doing every day.