Deadly Drinking Game Inspires Kindness Video Craze Across Globe

An inspiring adaptation has emerged out of the dangerous “NEK Nomination” craze that has swept through the UK, Australia and elsewhere in recent weeks. These online challenges for friends to shoot videos of themselves binge drinking has claimed the lives of at least four youth in the UK and Ireland. But this month, and during Random Acts of Kindness Week (Feb. 9-16), hundreds of youth are taking back the social media stage for sanity’s sake and nominating each other to perform good deeds, instead. Since Feb. 3, hundreds of these heartwarming videos have been posted on Twitter and Facebook.

It all started on Feb. 1 as South African Brent Lindeque decided to break the Nek Nomination cycle, in favor of something that might show the world how powerful social media can be if used for good. He gave a huge sandwich, chocolate and a coke to a panhandler on the street. He filmed it, nominated two people and challenged them to do the same within 24 hours. The next day in Ireland, Jessica Supple saw an article about the idea and the Irish started calling the new craze, “RAK nominating”.

Young people from Spain, the UK, Germany and Canada — and even a Senator with his staff in Ireland — have joined the new movement, paying it forward via online RAK nominations. They have planned and carried out giveaways of hugs, balloons, sweets, and flowers; they’ve doled out hot meals to the homeless; they’ve surprised friends or city workers with gifts.

“Nice to see people turning that stupid neknomination into something good!” wrote Derby’s Christine Gillard.

You can start your own RAKNomination by simply recording, or telling about, yourself doing a good deed. Then, challenge two of your friends to do the same within the next day or two, and post the video online with a hashtag #RAKnomination.

WATCH the videos below, including the one that started it all, and see more at Facebook.com/Raknominations.