GAIL WHITE Write a letter to the incredible kid in your life

Have any absolutely incredible kids in your life?
On March 15, the Camp Fire Boys and Girls of America wants you to let those kids know how incredible you think they are.
For the past five years, on the third Thursday of March, the Camp Fire Boys and Girls have celebrated Absolutely Incredible Kid Day, during which adults are encouraged to write letters of love and support to the incredible children in their lives.
"We want adults to write to any child they know or have feelings for -- it could be the paper boy, a child at church, the next-door neighbor," Barbara Smith, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Campfire Council, explained.
"We especially want to reach children in the hospital and those that perhaps don't get much attention at home."
How this has spread: Since 1997, more than 450 million adults have taken the time to show the children in their lives how special they are. It is a simple concept that can have a lifelong effect.
"We are so busy anymore," Barbara said. "The way we hustle and bustle, we assume too much. We can't assume that the message is there."
Words can be difficult to express -- and once they are said, they are gone. A letter is a personal, tangible way to tell a child how you feel. It is something the child can keep and read over and over for years to come.
The first year Absolutely Incredible Kid Day was celebrated, Barbara experienced the impact of the program firsthand.
She received a letter from her father.
"It was incredible," she said.. "My father is a neat and wonderful man, but he doesn't say much. It was the first time I learned how proud he was of me." The thought of the letter still affects her.
"I spent the whole first year telling people to write," she remembers. "I forgot I was someone's kid too."
More good news: Yet, there was more in the mail for Barbara.
She received a "reverse" Incredible Kid letter from a woman who had been one of Barbara's Camp Fire Kids. "It was heartwarming to know that I had made a difference in someone's life," Barbara said with a smile.
The impact and power of Absolutely Incredible Kid Day touched Barbara. "They sat down, took the time to tell me how much I meant to them."
Imagine the impact on a young mind.
Absolutely Incredible Kid Day has garnered the support of dozens of major celebrities, political figures and businessmen.
From the top: The spokesman for this year's campaign is Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers. He writes:
To each and every child in America,
Believe in yourself and follow your dreams. Hard work, honesty and determination create success. It has for me, on the football field, and more importantly, in my personal life with my family and friends.
Remember that in this wonderful country, anything is possible and you have the freedom to choose your destiny. You can always find happiness when you look to the world with a positive attitude, when you look to family and friends and when you look within.
Please never forget that you are absolutely incredible and that you hold a very special place in this world.
Your friend,
Jerry Rice
Jerry's words will have an impact on many incredible kids, but perhaps the greatest impact can come from you. Write a letter to a child in your life this March 15.
Write five letters! Your words will not be wasted. In fact, they may change a child's life.
XMore information about Absolutely Incredible Kid Day can be found at kidday@campfire.org