Acts of kindness have been spreading throughout Listowel all day as a local woman who died of cancer this summer is being remembered for her warm and generous spirit.

Heidi would have turned 35 on Sept. 8, and to mark the occasion, the community is picking up her mission of spreading a legacy of love.

“It’s a bittersweet day,” said Remo Schlumpf, Heidi’s husband.

Heidi Schlumpf was a mother of four young children who died in August about 16 months after being diagnosed with Stage 4 triple negative metastatic Breast Cancer.

“Once she accepted her diagnosis, her life had been essentially dated like there's a timeline here she really felt destined to make her mark and do something that was going to live on and today is something exactly like that,” said Remo Schlumpf.

Last year, she started a kindness campaign while fundraising for Cancer Research.

As a former social worker turned teacher, her big heart was well known, so friends and family continued what she started.

“She was a really funny, a nice human being that’s all I can say,” said friend Mitch Dale. “She had a great sense of humour, she always said ‘keep on smiling, no matter how your day’s going.’”

People are committing random acts of kindness and using the hashtag “put a kind deed in your feed.”

People have been purchasing coffee, meals and flowers for others, along with several donations on Heidi’s behalf.

Downtown Listowel businesses joined in too.

“We are actually handing out gift cards to customers that are coming in, just randomly,” said Birdie Chavarria, Mucho Burrito owner.

Kathy Corcoran, the executive director of the North Perth Community Hospice said they put out about 150 cards for the community.

“Kindness really costs nothing, and it has a little bit of an inspirational quote in each one and hopes to brighten somebodies day,” said Corcoran.

The spreading of kindness is a new tradition the community plans to turn into an annual honour every year on Heidi’s birthday.

“This will be one of those things that keeps her memory and her spirit and everything she did alive,” said Remo Schlumpf.