For four years Bob Votruba has lived in a bus with his dog, Bogart, traveling to colleges across the country to promote kindness. He sold his home and most of his belongings in order to embark on a planned out ten-year journey with one goal: to convince people that kindness is needed, and that each person should make a goal to perform one million acts of kindness in their lifetime. He bought a plain white bus and enlisted help from family and friends to paint it with kind words and quotes, and then began his trip. His hope is to “start a kindness movement in this country today to change the direction the world is headed.”

     On February 27, 2013 Bob was parked outside of the LSU Student Union meeting students and spreading his message. The bus itself could tell bystanders that this man wants peace and kindness, covered in quotes such as, “You are the change this world needs,” “A hug is the greatest gift you can give; one size fits all and it’s easy to exchange,” and “You have the power to positively affect millions of people.” Then of course many were drawn over to pet the Boston Terrier laying outside. But unlike many of the preachers and advocates of various things that we typically see in Free Speech Alley, Mr. Votruba was not forceful, he was not pushing anything at anyone. But if someone did approach him he would very warmly welcome them and profusely thank them just for stopping by. A lot of the times that people came over they would simply pet Bogart and leave, and even then Bob would thank them and tell them how sweet they were, just for petting his dog. Every word that came out of his mouth was genuine, which is not something you see every day.

     Bob Votruba gave up everything he had to dedicate his life to improving the world. He wants to show people that no impact is too small, that no person is insignificant, and that one small act of kindness can change a life, and eventually the world. He travels to schools and colleges because he aims to instill this knowledge in the minds of people young enough that they are not set in their ways, that they are still figuring out how the world works. He is a truly fascinating man; he has been featured on shows including Oprah, and really just wants the world to be a better place to live.

If you were unable to stop by or meet Bob when he was on campus, please visit his website: www.OneMillionActsOfKindness.com