Noel Lawlor (left) and Sinead O’Crowley, Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce together with Random Acts of Kindness (RAOK) Festival

Noel Lawlor (left) and Sinead O’Crowley, Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce together with Random Acts of Kindness (RAOK) Festival organiser Theresa O’Leary, present a gift of the town’s produce and crafts to Jason Field of Skibbereen and District Chamber to m

CLONAKILTY Chamber of Commerce officers Sinead O’Crowley and Noel Lawlor this week presented a gift of the town’s produce and crafts to Jason Field of Skibbereen and District Chamber, together with Random Acts of Kindness Festival organiser Theresa O’Leary, to mark the RAOK Festival Clonakilty which takes place this Saturday, 18th.

Gifts of a selection of meats, puddings, jams, eggs, chocolate were supplied by O’Neill Butchers, Clonakilty Black Pudding, Arís, Clonakilty Chocolate, Clonakilty Cocoa Co, Shannonvale and Irish Yogurts, along with mugs from Etain Hickey, The Lettercollum Cookbook and Clonakilty Living.

Clonakilty Chamber is supporting the Kind Town initiative introduced this year as part of the Random Acts of Kindness Festival. RAOK festival organisers are encouraging towns throughout Ireland to participate.

As part of the 2015 Macra na Feirme Know Your Neighbour weekend, members of Clonakilty Macra and organisers of the annual Random Acts of Kindness Festival expect to be busy on the day co-ordinating the many planned and spontaneous kind activities. To start the day on a celebratory note, an Early Bird Boogie, West Cork’s first, will be held from 6.30 to 8.30am in Clonakilty Parochial Hall.

Now in its fourth year, Clonakilty RAOK Festival celebrates, encourages and showcases the kindness and spirit of people locally and visitors to the town alike. Festival organisers are encouraging other towns to get involved and register acts of kindness at www.raokclon.com.

Planned activites include PARK (Park for Acts of Random Kindness), the touring ‘Compliments Car,’ pop-up music performances, kindness zones, Random Acts of Drama, a sandcastle competition at Inchydoney Beach, storytelling and much more. The day will end on a high with Random Acts of Dancing in De Barra’s from 10pm.

The main event PARK (Park for Acts of Random Kindness) takes place from 1 to 5pm in Emmet Square, Clonakilty. The Emmet Hotel will run a free family barbecue as part of the event.

PARK will offer fun for all the family with highlights including a Kindness Scavenger hunt, garden games, an arts and crafts area and the opportunity to decorate and gift your own Fernhill Hotel ‘kindness’ cookie. Live entertainment will be provided by popular local musicians in a De Barra’s Sitting Room

Session.

For more information and to register your planned act of kindness, visit www.raokclon.com or find them on Facebook.