Molly Day urges random acts of kindness

The city of Fresno has proclaimed Aug. 26 Molly Day, solidifying annual random acts of kindness in honor of Molly Griffin, who was killed by a drunken driver last year.

Griffin died in a car accident in February 2015 after another driver ran a red light near Copper River Drive. She was 23 years old and a graduate of Fresno State’s School of Nursing.

The drunken driver was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

To honor her life, Griffin’s family and friends are asking people to “live like Molly” on Friday, which is Molly’s birthday. Molly Day is meant to get people to show kindness to strangers – something that Griffin did often. She was known for her regular compliments of others, and did things like buy groceries and coffee for people whose credit cards were declined.

This is the second Molly Day. Last year, hundreds of people posted on the Molly Day Facebook page to share their acts of kindness. People are again encouraged to use the hashtag #LiveLikeMolly on social media and share their experiences. As of Thursday, about 500 people had signed up to participate on Facebook.

“We are just encouraging someone to do something nice for somebody, whether it’s buy a cup of coffee or lunch, or do a favor to help someone in need,” Griffin’s father, Doug Griffin, told The Bee last year. “Whatever it is, just show kindness and love toward another person.”

Last year on Molly Day, Lindsay Rowe of Clovis tipped the pizza delivery man an extra $20 and gave him a gift card for gas. She also bought coffee for the car behind her in a Starbucks drive-through line.

Rowe briefly worked with Griffin at Madera Community Hospital, but was especially touched by her death because her 1-year-old daughter’s name is Molly.

“While I didn't know Molly long, I could tell she was an amazing person who gave off good vibes, and I hope that my Molly grows up to be kind and caring like her,” Rowe said. Rowe had plans of treating her co-workers to breakfast to celebrate Molly Day this year.

Clovis Community College will host a blood drive Friday, followed by a fair and benefit concert hosted by Clovis Hills Community Church. Proceeds will go to the Molly Griffin Clovis Hills Youth Scholarship Memorial Endowment Fund. A nursing scholarship at Fresno State has also been established in Griffin’s name.

This story was originally published August 25, 2016 at 11:37 AM with the headline "Molly Day urges random acts of kindness."