By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— To celebrate the spirit of giving during the holiday season, the Pelham High School softball players spent some time performing random acts of kindness.

“It was just such a positive influence for the girls because they get to have ownership of it,” said Sabrina Tutchtone, head softball coach. “They sign up for want they want to do.”

This was the first year the Pelham softball students participated in the random acts of kindness, but Tutchtone and her assistant coach have done this before in Prattville.

In pairs, the 16 girls visited places all over Shelby County, delivering a little unexpected joy.

At the Cracker Barrel in Pelham two of the girls left a $20 gift card at the table of one family, other girls delivered towels and blankets to the Shelby County Humane Society and another group donated children’s books to the Urgent Care in Pelham.

“It was fun for them because it was so random,” Tutchtone said.

She said some of the students’ favorite things also included delivering poinsettias to residents of a nursing home in Pelham and delivering flower arrangements to patients at the hospital.

The team also made goodie bags and care packages. Players delivered goodie bags to several of the counselors and administrators at PHS, and they took care packages to the fire department, police department and to the team’s physician.

One of the best parts for the coaches, according to Tutchtone, was seeing how the students reacted after participating in the random acts. She said the students seemed to really enjoy it.

“For the coaches that was the best part of it,” Tutchtone said. “They were thinking of things we hadn’t thought of that they wanted to do next year.”

Because the random acts of kindness were so successful, Tutchtone said they plan to make them a tradition among the softball players. They’ve already started brainstorming ideas for next year.

“We have a great group this year and I knew it would work with them,” she said. “I think it’s largely because these kids were raised well. We are very blessed to have these kids.”