Shaken to the core by the killings in an El Paso, Texas, Walmart, an 11-year-old hometown boy — Ruben Martinez —is trying to bring some light to this horrifically dark event.
ABC.com reports: “The day after the shooting, when Ruben began to ask his mom (Rose Gandarilla) even more questions about why the shooting happened and what he could do to help, Gandarilla challenged her son to think of an idea that would ‘show the kindness of El Paso.’ Nearly 30 minutes later, Ruben, an incoming sixth-grader, emerged with a notebook full of ideas. At the top of the notebook he had written out a hashtag, #ElPasoChallenge.”
And the seeds of kindness were planted. The boy’s challenge is for people to do 22 good deeds or acts of kindness in memory of the 22 killed in the mass shooting.
An 11-year-old started the 'El Paso Challenge' to help his community healhttps://t.co/95Cibr4BpC#elpasoCHALLENGE ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
— jennifer_ann (@JenniferAnn522) August 6, 2019
I will join in. But instead of 22, I will have 34 acts of kindness-
— Willow the RainFawn (@DaDoofFloofbutt) August 6, 2019
3 for the Garlic Festival shooting
22 for El Paso
9 for Dayton, Ohio. #elpasoCHALLENGE https://t.co/zn0BfRZSn8
11-Year-Old El Paso Boy Starts #ElPasoChallenge To Honor Shooting Victims https://t.co/IEflpbHhV4
— Bill Baltrus (@bbaltrus) August 6, 2019
He should run for congress. Better idea than most of them.
Say their names. get specific. personal. see. you like me on the ground of love & loss. when we see we can't sever. #elpasoCHALLENGE
— Diane Renz LPC (@inHabitBody) August 6, 2019
El Paso Victims Were as Diverse as the City https://t.co/CrvrABbuK6 pic.twitter.com/omupmmcw8f
He’s 11 year old Ruben Martinez & he’s trying to promote the #ElPasoChallenge. He is challenging each each person in El Paso to do 22 good deeds for others, one for each of the victims murdered. Do your thing twitter. https://t.co/1xuQrmIdWx
— Simar (@sahluwal) August 6, 2019
11-year-old Ruben Martinez wanted to help his community heal after this weekend’s shooting - so he came up with the #ElPasoChallenge, urging others to commit 22 random acts of kindness in honor of the 22 victims.
— Norah O'Donnell?? (@NorahODonnell) August 6, 2019
We’ll have Ruben’s story tonight on the @CBSEveningNews pic.twitter.com/m7l3EvfNEI
