At an age when most children are thinking about school, friends and what they will do after class, a young boy from Texas was thinking about something very different.
\nHis name was Orion Jean.
\nAnd he had a question: What could happen if more people simply chose to be kind?
\nThat idea would eventually grow into a movement that helped provide food to families and books to children across America.
\nIt would also lead to Orion being selected as TIME’s 2021 Kid of the Year at just 11 years old. TIME
\nIt Started With $500
\nOrion’s journey began after he entered a kindness speech contest in 2020.
\nHe won.
\nThe prize was $500.
\nBut instead of thinking only about what he could buy for himself, Orion decided to use the money to help others.
\nHe used his winnings to purchase toys for children at a hospital in Texas and encouraged other people to participate.
\nThat became the beginning of his Race to Kindness initiative. TIME for Kids
\nBut Orion wasn’t finished.
\nThen Came 100,000 Meals
\nDuring the pandemic, Orion saw families struggling with food insecurity.
\nHe decided his next project would address hunger.
\nWorking with organizations, volunteers, donors and members of the community, his Race to Kindness initiative launched an ambitious campaign.
\nThe goal: 100,000 meals.
\nThey reached it.
\nReading Is Fundamental says the campaign ultimately collected more than 100,000 meals for people facing food insecurity. rif.org
\nFor many people, accomplishing something that large would have been enough.
\nNot for Orion.
\nHe had already begun thinking about another problem.
\nFrom Food to Books \ud83d\udcda
\nOrion loved reading and understood that not every child had easy access to books.
\nSo he launched another enormous challenge:
\nRace to 500,000 Books.
\nOnce again, people and organizations joined the effort.
\nAnd once again, Orion reached his goal.
\nTIME for Kids reported that he collected half a million books in just a few months, helping get books into the hands of children who needed them. TIME for Kids
\nTIME Took Notice
\nBy 2022, Orion’s acts of kindness had attracted national attention.
\nTIME selected the Texas sixth-grader from a field of more than 5,000 nominees and named him its 2021 Kid of the Year. TIME for Kids
\nBut perhaps the most memorable part of Orion’s story isn’t the award.
\nIt’s how simply his journey began.
\nOne child won $500.
\nInstead of asking what the money could do for him, he asked what he could do for someone else.
\nThat decision led to toys for children in a hospital.
\nThen came food for families.
\nThen hundreds of thousands of books.
\nAnd eventually, thousands of people were participating in the same race toward kindness.
\nYears later, Orion has continued the mission. In 2026, Reading Is Fundamental described the now-15-year-old as continuing his Race to Kindness work. rif.org
\nSometimes making a difference doesn’t begin with having millions of dollars or enormous influence.
\nSometimes it begins with one person deciding:
\nI’m going to help. \u2764\ufe0f\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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