Bear Hugs For This Alumni Couple, Acts of Kindness Are the Best Holiday Décor Beth Dessen Duffy ’82 and Dan Duffy ’82 have parlayed a family tradition into a multimedia project, adorning trees with good deeds “Bear Hugs” celebrates heartwarming stories of Cornellians on the Hill and around the world. Have an idea? Email us at cornellians@cornell.edu! By Melissa Newcomb From the time their two children were very young, Beth Dessen Duffy ’82 and Dan Duffy ’82 found a way to teach them the true meaning of the holiday season—using construction paper and some creativity. Dan and Beth (holding Havanese dog Luna) with kids Rachel and Eddie. Each year on December 1, the couple would mount a small paper Christmas tree on a kitchen cabinet in their Toronto home; at the end of every day throughout the month, the family would gather there to share a good deed that they’d done. It might be including a classmate at school; donating to a charity; helping wash the dishes; or simply checking in with an old friend. To mark each one, they’d tape a colorful paper ornament onto the tree—with the goal of having it fully decorated by Christmas Day. The accompanying kids’ book, published under Beth’s elf-ish pseudonym. Even though their kids are now grown and living on their own, the Duffys have continued the tradition—on a much larger scale. More than a decade ago, the couple launched their “Christmas Tree of Kindness” project, which has grown to comprise a children’s book, a website with printable crafts, and an app. In addition to promoting good deeds at the holidays and beyond, it lets loved ones connect even from afar by decorating a tree together. The couple as undergrads. “We are all yearning for more kindness in the world,” says Beth. “Everybody has different ways to do the greatest good with the resources they have.” The two CALS alums—who met during the first week of classes their freshman year—conceived the project after inspiring friends, family, and colleagues to decorate their own paper Christmas trees with “kindness” ornaments. With their free app—which is available in Apple’s App Store and has been downloaded more than 5,000 times since its creation in 2013—users can customize a virtual tree and invite others to decorate it with them. Each time someone adds an ornament, they note the act of kindness it represents. When a tree is completed, a star is added and holiday music plays. We are all yearning for more kindness in the world. Everybody has different ways to do the greatest good with the resources they have. Beth Dessen Duffy ’82 The children’s book, titled The Christmas Tree That Changed the World, follows a young evergreen named Spruce and her puppy friend. The duo start a new North Pole tradition by adding ornaments to Spruce’s branches after doing kind acts. (Its author? Cookie Claus, Beth’s pen name.) A portion of the book’s profits are donated to World Vision, a global children’s charity. The Christmas Tree of Kindness website also offers PDF downloads of ornament designs to expand to other holidays like Valentine’s Day and Easter. And Beth further shares the project’s message through visits to school classrooms, where teachers and students are encouraged to create and decorate their own trees. Says Dan: “No pun intended—kindness makes people light up like a Christmas tree.” A scene from the app. (All images provided.) Published December 5, 2024 Comments Carol Ann Ogorzalek 6 Dec, 2024 What a beautiful and kind gesture to inspire everyone to do a kind deed. May it continue forever. Reply Donna Michelson, Class of 1978 15 Dec, 2024 Great idea! Would be lovely to extend this to other religions as well, especially in this holiday celebrating season- for example, eight days of kindness with menorahs and somehow connecting with Kwanzaa celebrations too. 😊👍 Reply Brian FITZGERALD, Class of 1982 6 Dec, 2024 Awesome!! Love it!! Thank you for this! ♥️ The Fitz’s Reply Karen 6 Dec, 2024 You are such incredible people, always displaying thoughtfulness. Your conduct inspires and promotes true loving kindness. Thank you. Reply Mukhtar Sumar, Class of 1978 11 Dec, 2024 Amazing idea. “Is there any recompense for good but good ?” holy Quran. Reply Robert J. Gemmell, Class of 1979 15 Dec, 2024 Hockey players have the biggest hearts! Well done Dan and Beth!!!! Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Campus & Beyond ‘Computational Art History’ Finds Clues in the Canvas Campus & Beyond Cornell Maple Program Sees Acres of Untapped Opportunity Bear Hugs Bells Are Ringing for This Veteran Chimesmaster