FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 1, 2021

CONTACT:
MayorPress@sandiego.gov

SAN DIEGO Today, Mayor Todd Gloria and Born This Way Foundation, co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, announced the launch of the #BeKind21 campaign in the City of San Diego. The campaign seeks to encourage members of the public to practice an act of kindness each day from September 1st to September 21st to build kinder, more connected communities that foster mental wellness.

Kindness is encouraged every day of the year. Im happy to have San Diego partner with the Born This Way Foundation to promote more kindness throughout our city, Mayor Todd Gloria said. Weve collectively experienced a number of traumatic events and circumstances over the last year. Kindness can help us get through these challenges with a sense that we're all in this together.

The largest campaign to date, Born This Way Foundation is partnering with a diverse coalition of more than 400 partners across all sectors and industries, including schools, organizations, and entire communities to promote kindness and bring this important initiative to fruition.

San Diegans are invited to take the pledge to #BeKind21 and practice kindness toward themselves and others for the next 21 days. Those who take the pledge will join Born This Way Foundation's community, receive access to kindness calendars, tips, and inspiration from the Foundations co-founders and partners, and have the opportunity to be featured on the Foundations youth storytelling platform ChannelKindness.org.

As part of todays announcement, Mayor Gloria officially proclaimed Be Kind 21 Days in the City of San Diego.

We know the transformative impact kindness has on every aspect of our lives. This September, as we continue to wrestle with the overlapping and ongoing crises in our world, its imperative we focus on eliminating the stigma surrounding mental health and prioritizing kindness toward ourselves and others," Cynthia Germanotta, President and Co-Founder of Born This Way Foundation said. "Quantitatively and anecdotally, weve learned from young people they believe experiencing, and even witnessing, more kindness in the world would help to improve their mental health. Young people know kindness is the way forward to a kinder and braver world that supports our collective wellness. We are proud of all our #BeKind21 movement does to make their hope and our collective hope a reality."

Earlier this spring, Born This Way Foundation conducted a survey of 2,008 13-24-year-olds that further proved an undeniable link between increased kindness and improved mental wellness, from helping young people feel safe, confident, and less alone to changing the trajectory of their day and even their desire to stay alive. Nearly 95% of young people surveyed stated little acts of kindness can make a big difference and impact their mental health. Kindness not only helped them get through tough times but more importantly move forward.

In 2020, #BeKind21 generated more than 112 million pledged acts of kindness globally with 5 million participants. Across the United States, over 350 schools, 500 nonprofits, and 300 brands joined the campaign. For more information on #BeKind21, please visit: bornthisway.foundation/bekind21.

Follow #BeKind21 through the hashtag #BeKind21 on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.

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About Born This Way Foundation

Born This Way Foundation, co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, supports the mental health of young people and works with them to build a kinder and braver world. Through high-impact programming, youth-led conversations, and strategic, cross-sectoral partnerships, the Foundation aims to make kindness cool, validate the emotions of young people, and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health. Learn how the Foundation encourages people to practice kindness towards themselves and their communities at bornthisway.foundation and its storytelling platform Channel Kindness at channelkindness.org.