“What a cool thing to do,” was the response as Enumclaw High students Ryan Chynoweth, Tyler Salsbury, Sara Mongrain and Michelle McKinlay and White River students Jeff Lind, Hannah Miltimore, Janet Groves, Brittany Walker, Micah Athey, Andrea Entz and Tino Hice joined forces and chain links together Nov. 22 at the bridge on state Route 410 that joins the communities of Enumclaw and Buckley.

“We are excited to unite our Rachel’s Challenge links of kindness initiative with the White River School District,” Enumclaw Superintendent Mike Nelson said. “We are hoping that this show of unity will reignite our collective efforts to have people write about the kindnesses that they have seen throughout the communities of Black Diamond, Enumclaw and Buckley. “

Rachel Scott was the first person killed at Colorado’s Columbine High School massacre in 1999. Her challenge, presented through her family, is to make permanent, positive, cultural changes in their schools and communities by accepting the challenge to start a chain reaction of kindness and compassion.

Before her death, Scott wrote an essay titled “My Ethics, My Codes of Life.”

“I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same,” she wrote. “People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”

The Enumclaw and White River school districts and the communities of Enumclaw and Buckley are jotting down the acts of kindness they witness on paper chain links. These links will be united to form a chain organizers are hoping will stretch more than 2 miles.

Enumclaw’s portion of the campaign will conclude with Rachel’s Rally March 6.

Links are available at both Enumclaw and White River schools, the Enumclaw Regional Healthcare Foundation office on Myrtle Street, or several downtown businesses. Links may also be sent through The Courier-Herald website, www.courierherald.com, by clicking on the Rachel’s Challenge button near the top of the home page.