Andrew Smith’s family celebrates his birthday with random acts of kindness
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The wife of former Butler basketball player Andrew Smith is asking the city to honor his memory with random acts of kindness Friday, on what would have been his 26th birthday.
Smith was on the teams that took Butler to the Final Four in 2010 and 2011.
To celebrate her husband’s legacy, Samantha Smith is asking people to do random acts of kindness and post the stories on social media with the hashtag #Smith26.
“I just really wanted to make the day all about random acts of kindness, honoring Andrew and celebrating him the best I know how, which is loving on people — because he was so good at it and he did it so well,” Samantha Smith said. “Andrew was selfless to his core and never let anything be all about him. So I loved his birthday, it was a day that I could spoil him rotten and he couldn’t really say much about it.”
Samantha Smith said she’s doing 26 acts of kindness, because Andrew would have been 26 years old. She hopes others will do at least one or two good deeds.
“Certainly people don’t feel like they have to do 26. Just one or two acts of kindness, just to love on people and serve people to honor Andrew and the way he lived his life,” she said.
Smith said her husband would be glad his family is choosing to celebrate his birthday by serving others.
“Andrew and I always maintained that if we could help save one life or make one person’s walk or path a little easier, then our journey was worth it. I know that’s how Andrew lived his life and certainly to the very end lived his life,” she said.
The Smith family and Butler University are active in recruiting people to join the Be The Match bone marrow registry. Smith said joining the registry would be the perfect act of kindness to honor her husband.
“I think it’s so meaningful because it just puts a little bit of purpose behind the pain. There’s so much obviously that I wish was different, but what’s happening with the bone marrow registry and the goodness and love that’s being spread around the community is not something I would change,” said Smith.
Click here to learn how you can join the bone marrow registry.