Chartwells and Stockton University Dining–in partnership with three-hundred national campus dining programs– hosted their very first Delightful Challenge on Thursday, February 17th in honor of National Random Acts of Kindness Day. The event, which was part of Stockton Dining’s year-long Joyful Campaign, was held in the N-Wing food hall and ran from 4 PM to 7 PM. 

In the hours leading up to the event, Stockton Dining had tables placed around campus promoting the Delightful Challenge. The tables featured promotional items like cups of “positivi-tea” and customizable coffee sleeves with cheerful messages on them. Participants of the event were encouraged to complete their “passports” by completing a random act of kindness and having it stamped at N-Wing.

The event itself included various activities, including cornhole, a prize wheel, a cupcake-making station, and a friendship bracelet-making station; the proceeds of the latter are to be donated to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which is a non-profit organization centered around youth mentoring. Stockton Dining also had a “kindness wall” on display, where participants could write and display kind messages. 

When asked about the planning process for the Delightful Challenge, Noelle Sage, Chartwells’ marketing manager for the event, described the process as “fast-paced, but rewarding to be a part of.” Sage and her colleague Ashley Kruger expressed excitement in promoting random acts of kindness within the university community through their efforts. Sage is a 2015 Stockton University graduate and Hospitality major; Kruger graduated from Stockton in 2021 with a major in Marketing and is currently enrolled in graduate school at Stockton University.

Highlights of the event, as well as information regarding future Stockton Dining events, can be found on Stockton University Dining’s Instagram page, here.