Hamden residents attended “Kindness Rocks,” an event at Café Amici on Saturday, Oct. 12, to paint rocks in support of Breast Cancer Awareness.
The rocks painted at this event will be donated to the Healing Garden at Smilow Cancer Hospital, which is a part of Yale New Haven Health.
Kindness Rocks began when a coworker of Kimberly Kubicza, who is a trauma nurse at Yale New Haven Health, noticed that the Healing Garden had become sparse.
“They noticed that there were hardly any rocks left because people were going (and taking rocks from the garden), which is good,” said Kim Talmadge, a friend of Kubicza and an organizer for Kindness Rocks. “The whole intention is to take a rock with them, but nobody planned on replenishing the supply.”
Kubicza posted to Facebook to gauge interest in people who would help replenish the garden. The post garnered 140 responses.
“We had no idea if anybody would be interested in doing (Kindness Rocks) at all,” Talmadge said. “And it turned out we had almost 40 people at the one in Branford, and it was put together very fast.”
Within the first three events that they’ve held, the organization has painted more than 300 rocks.
Creating the rocks brings people together, but it also does more than this. Different businesses all around the area are donating supplies to be used for the cause. It has shown how willing the community is to support something it cares about.
“It doesn’t cost (participants) anything, it’s free,” Talmadge said. “We have a business that donated rocks, a whole bunch of people donated their paints. We hit up (different businesses) for tablecloths and stuff like that.”
One of the participants in Saturday’s event was Ganine Aceto, a 40-year Hamden resident and friend of Talmadge. She is also a breast cancer survivor.
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago, and it was really shocking to me, seeing that I was the first in my family to be diagnosed,” Aceto said.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 310,720 women and 2,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024.
“I’m big into (awareness), and I believe that the more awareness, because it’s not only women who get breast cancer, it’s men as well,” Aceto said.
Although Breast Cancer Awareness is the goal for this month, Talmadge wants to keep pushing awareness for different diseases every month.
“Next month we’re going to focus on prostate cancer awareness, and then the holidays are on, so we’ll see what happens after that,” Talmadge said. “We’re going to do not just cancer, but different awarenesses every month. We’re trying to focus on different medical facilities where the stones are going to … we’re trying to be all-encompassing. Hospices reached out to Kim (Kubicza). They have gardens to fill there too, so they’re looking to have it filled. I think that’s the next place we’re bringing (rocks).”
If you were not able to make it to Saturday’s event, you can still help. Those interested can visit Kindness Rocks Sisters Facebook page for updates on its November event. It also accepts donations of paint and other art supplies.