Compassion Games challenge us to be the World's Most Compassionate City

Games run September 11-21 with opening ceremonies at Cleveland High School

Residents of Seattle and surrounding communities are invited to play in the Compassion Games: Survival of the Kindest, a worldwide “co-opetition” running September 11 through 21, 2013. Opening ceremonies will kick off the Seattle Games on September 11 at Cleveland High School. Afternoon festivities start at 3:00pm, with an evening program at 6:30pm.

Over the following 10 days, neighborhoods, organizations, businesses, and individuals will organize and participate in games of their choice. Scores will be tallied and displayed online, so “co-opetitors” can track the progress of teams worldwide.

In 2010, Seattle affirmed the Charter for Compassion, and committed to a ten-year Compassionate City campaign, followed two years later by Lake Forest Park. In 2012, the city of Louisville Kentucky challenged Seattle to see which was the most compassionate city. Jon Ramer, co-founder of Compassionate Seattle, rose to the challenge, declaring “Game on,” and the Compassion Games were born. This year, more than a dozen communities around the world are participating.

“The Compassion Games are inspiring and challenging us to create new ways of learning, playing, and serving each other and the world,” said Ramer. “We call them a “co-opetition” because we’re cooperating to compete – we’re competing with each other to create a culture that promotes compassionate action. The Games are a chance to focus attention on all the opportunities and the compassionate actions going on around us every day.”

Participants can choose to do random acts of kindness; sign up to be a Secret Agent of Compassion and receive a daily mission by email; contribute to a service project organized by a business, organization, or neighborhood; or create their own games. Players will record their activities by submitting a quick online report. Results from all participating communities worldwide will be tallied and shown on a Compassion Map online. Details and instructions for participating are at compassiongames.org. An events calendar will identify all gatherings, festivals, and opportunities for service during the Games. 

Hope to see a lot of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park good deeds showing up on the Compassion Mapping!

The opening ceremonies at Cleveland High, MC’d by Evening Magazine host Jim Dever, will feature welcome speeches, music, aerial acts, compassion booths, a food drive, videos produced by What’s Good 206 and Cleveland students co-hosted by executive producer Austin Williams, and breakdancing. The event is free and open to the public (the evening program is first come first served, as seating is limited). 

Closing ceremonies will take place September 21 at El Centro de la Raza at 4:00pm. Details will be posted to the events calendar as they are finalized.

Sponsors of the Games to date are: United Way of King County, LUSH, Make it Matter, Talking Rain, PEMCO, The City of Seattle, New Stories, Kind Living, Ideal network, and Service Learning Seattle - Seattle Public Schools. Media partners to date are: King5TV, What's Good 206, Pyramid Communications, Fish/Astronaut, and Fat Cat VDO.

Volunteers and additional sponsors are welcome – contact Jon Ramer for information.