THOMASVILLE — Bags of kindness were given out Saturday.   

The bags — an assortment of rocks, a paintbrush, non-acrylic paint, stickers, and a pair of solar eclipse glasses — were kits to craft “kindness rocks,” painted rocks tucked away in random places to uplift the lucky person who stumbles upon the rock.  

Jodi Merritt, organizer of the event, cleaned and prepped a total of 250 pounds of rocks for the event. 

A total of 200 kits were assembled Friday night, Merritt said. 

“Everything is safe and non-toxic for children,” Merritt said. “There will be a sheet with instructions on them.” 

The kits were given out at downtown Thomasville’s amphitheater on Saturday, and Merritt brought a small amount of extra kit supplies to the event. 

“That’s like one of the best things I think Thomasville has done,” Merritt said of the Creative District’s amphitheater. 

Merritt found her first kindness rock at the amphitheater. While at the Fourth of July celebration, Merritt and her daughter went to get a snow cone and stumbled up an adorned rock. 

“Ever since then we’ve just been on the rock bandwagon,” she said. 

Following the Saturday event, Merritt also is planning another event near Halloween. 

The specifics of the event have not been set yet, Merritt said, but she is aiming for the event to have ’80s-inspired Halloween flair. Merritt also wants to set up a painting booth for the next event, for those to paint rocks, and later hide, keep, or do “whatever they want to do.” 

“The event is going to be bigger and I’m hoping it’s going to be better,” she added. 

Clues to kindness rock locations around Thomasville are posted on the “Thomasville Rocks” Facebook, which Merritt helps facilitate. Merritt got the idea for the page after seeing the “Tallahassee Rocks” page. 

For more information on kindness rocks, visit thekindnessrocksproject.com. 

Reporter Jordan Barela can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1826.