Thousands Join Kindness Campaign Honoring Boy Killed in Boat Accident

Ben Horowitz 

MOUNT ARLINGTON --  A year after 10-year-old Christopher D'Amico Jr. died in a tragic boating accident on Lake Hopatcong, an acts of kindness campaign in his honor has succeeded way beyond expectations, according to his father.

 

In a video posted at the Kindness for Christopher Facebook page, the boy's father, Christopher Sr., thanked all those who have gotten involved in the campaign "for doing acts of kindness all on your own for a complete stranger."

 

With nearly 13,000 likes recorded as of Tuesday, Christopher Sr. said he and his wife Laura would like to thank all those who have pitched in and offered support and good deeds.

 

"It's been an amazing year," he said. "We want to thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts."

 

On June 24, 2015, Christopher Jr. fell into the water from a  pontoon boat rented by his father in the area of Byram Cove. Christopher Jr. suffered a head injury when he was struck by the boat.

 

The boy's organs were donated and a month later, in an effort to promote random acts of kindness, the family launched the Kindness for Christopher campaign. His father spoke on the video to mark the first anniversary of the effort.

D'Amico Sr. said the acts of kindness were particularly remarkable during a year when "We've seen a lot of crazy stuff going on in this world."

 

Among the efforts launched over the year, he said, was the collection of 4,000 pajama sets for donation to Hackensack University Medical Center -- compared with a goal that had been set at 1,000.