2026 Choosekind Week
July 27 – August 4
SEVEN YEARS – This year marks seven years since Ashton was needlessly killed by a drunk driver on July 28, 2019, just one week before her 16th birthday. Every day since, we have missed her deeply and the joy, compassion, and kindness she brought into our lives.
Each year, we honor Ashton by celebrating Choose Kind Week during the week between the day she was taken from us and what would have been her birthday. It is a time to remember her spirit by living as she did—with kindness, generosity, and compassion for others.
What began as a simple challenge to perform acts of kindness has grown into a community movement. Since 2020, we estimate that more than 1,300 people have been impacted through Choose Kind Week, and the ChooseKindACD Foundation has donated more than $30,000 to organizations and causes that were close to Ashton’s heart or reflect the caring spirit she shared with everyone she met.
Seven Years
Seven is often seen as a lucky number, but why is seven important to kindness? Just as kindness can create a complete circle of positive impact, the number 7 symbolizes something whole and meaningful. Kindness doesn’t stop with one act.
One act changes a moment.
Two acts change a day.
Three acts build hope.
Four acts strengthen a community.
Five acts inspire others.
Six acts create momentum.
The seventh act is when someone you’ve touched chooses kindness for another person. That’s when kindness becomes a movement.
2026 Choosekind Giving focus
Honoring Ashton by turning kindness into meaningful support for our community.
The local South Carolina chapter of Isaiah 117 House provides a safe place with loving volunteers, clean clothes, toys, snacks, and beds for children removed from their home by Children Services.
We are providing over 90 volunteer goody bags to support the individuals who provide a safe, warm place for these children. These bags contain items such as:
Adult coloring books & Markers
Puzzle books
Stress balls &Fidget Toys
Snacks and treats
The York County Council on Aging provides dog and cat food for homebound seniors. Pets are a source of comfort and joy to Seniors, and this enables them to care for their pets
We are collecting:
Dog or Cat Food (wet and dry)
Toys
Pet Beds
Animal Treats
The Life House Women’s Shelter help women and children find shelter, support, employment, and more permanent housing.
We are decorating the “House Mom” room with a new daybed mattress, and bedding, a comfortable reading chair, new rug, wall art and decor to create a calm, serene environment.
We are also creating a self-care goody bag station with gifts such as:
Snacks, sweets & herbal teas
Journals & Pens
Body mists, lotions, eye masks & cosmetic pouches
Fuzzy socks and blankets
- ChoosekindACD is a 501(c)(3) Non Profit
- Our EIN number is 87-2041724
How you can help
In 2020, our family established Choose Kind Week as a way to honor our daughter and sister, Ashton. Through our grief, we have found that spreading kindness and doing right by others is helpful. It’s just as important to tell Ashton’s story so that we might change someone’s actions and prevent another family from suffering.
Through the foundation, we will focus on a few things per year but don’t want to lose sight of small everyday ways we can still work to touch people’s hearts. Again, we are asking you to join us this year in doing something small in the week between when Ashton was killed (July 28) and what should be her 23rd birthday (August 4th), to spread kindness. This could be as easy as bringing cookies to a neighbor, paying for someone’s coffee, just holding the door open for someone, or smiling at them in line at the store. One of our favorite memories of Ashton is how she would wave at other drivers just to make them smile and laugh. We can still hear her laughter, especially if they waved back.
If you wish to donate to ChoosekindACD, please reach out, and we can share options for you to donate
If you can participate, please share your ideas with us. We have created a website to post updates and provide a space for you to share your acts of kindness and hopefully to hear from those who were impacted by your kindness (www.choosekindacd.com). Tag us on social media – Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #choosekindacd. Not on social media? Send a text to
Dawn (614-403-7898) or Jim (614-203-1763) or click the button below to send us an email.
We continue to be grateful for all the love and support we still receive. There is never a day that goes by that we do not miss her, your continued check-ins, random texts of love and support, and gifts that made you think of us or Ashton are all treasures. People tend to believe that grief shrinks over time, but what really happens is that we grow around our grief. We hope that you will help our hearts continue to grow by choosing kind in Ashton’s honor. By keeping her memory alive, we keep our love for her alive.
Dawn, Jim, and Faith Dickey
#Choosekindacd