Students involved with Young Life collaborated with Do Lampasas to promote Love Thy Neighbor Day celebrated Oct. 5.

“A lady named Ashleigh started the movement and she runs the operation,” junior Loretta Hodges said. “She felt that it was placed on her heart to share love with the different members of our community and so she got the idea to share this campaign.”

Students, residents and businesses passed out bracelets around town with the hope of inspiring togetherness, and a plan for people in town to wear them on the same day. 

“A more important way to describe what the bracelets are is basically an outward symbol recognizing that we’re all just a bunch of neighbors trying to figure out how to love each other,” Do Lampasas contributor Ashleigh Elizabeth said.

This day honors the commandment “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Elizabeth thought of the idea after a year of inspiration serving Lampasas through site and social presences with Do Lampasas. 

Mayor Herb Pearce declared Oct. 5 as the official Love Thy Neighbor Day.

“I think it’s important to give credit where it’s due for Do Lampasas, which is locals, businesses — everyone involved,” Elizabeth said. “I’m just the one with the car and camera to get places and take these moments, footage, videos, pictures of things that are happening around town.”

Around 6,500 bracelets were handed out all over town through activities like scavenger hunts. Administrators allowed Young Life students to pass them out at school.

“Some of the Young Life Student leaders have them,” Hodges said. “Also many churches in town have them available and they are free. They come in two different colors: light blue and navy blue.”

The overall goal of this was to get community members to interact and to encourage people to look around and see others with the bracelet and realize they are not that different.

“It doesn’t matter what your belief system, or where you’re coming in at,” Elizabeth said. “We can all agree to love each other and to treat each other good.”