After the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, Bob Votruba visited the campus memorial a week later to pass out stickers for his grassroots campaign, “Sow Only Seeds Of Love.”

“I ended up receiving so many e-mails and hand-written letters,” Votruba said. “People were saying, ‘We really love the message.’ Then my mindset changed from ‘Maybe they like this message’ to ‘Maybe they need this message.’ ”

Votruba, a recently retired  homebuilder, decided he was going to sell all his possessions, including his 10,000-square-foot home, and buy an 84 square-foot school bus in which to live while he traveled the country with his dog. His goal is to visit college campuses in the country over the next 10 years to spread his message of “One Million Acts of Kindness.”

“Some of these kids aren’t being reached, so I thought maybe I should make something specific for kids, set a goal for them,” he said.  “A lifetime goal for everyone to complete one million acts of kindness in their lifetime. This goal could change the world.”

Votruba, who started his bus tour near Cleveland, Ohio and has been on the road for nine weeks, visited UK on Tuesday to help spread his message by passing out stickers and talking to students on Rose Street beside the Chemistry-Physics Building.

As rain sprinkled on students while they walked to and from class, Votruba handed them “One Million Acts of Kindness” stickers that said “Kindness is for everyone,” and “You can be the change this world needs.”

James Morton, a computer engineering sophomore, said he felt the way Votruba delivered his message was inviting rather than bombarding students with ideologies.

“It’s a great approach to (be) talking to people,” Morton said.

Still, some students were leery about Votruba, who stood in front of his painted school bus with his Boston terrier, Bogart, beside him. Many students, however, stopped to take a picture of Votruba’s bus or pet his dog, which allowed him to talk to them about his mission.

Votruba stays away from political or religious affiliations when trying to share his mission, instead focusing on the universal message of kindness for everyone.

“I’m doing this all on my own,” he said. “It’s non-religious, just a guy and his dog.”

Votruba said for the size of UK’s campus, the  response from students was “huge.”

“Four out of five people are taking the stickers. Everybody’s being very nice,” he said. “People are nice everywhere, you just have to look for the good in people.”

Votruba said he will also be on campus Wednesday to reach more UK students. He will then begin traveling south to Florida stopping at colleges along the way.

“I’m finding it so rewarding talking to these kids,” Votruba said. “I’ve decided to really challenge others who are at that age … The time is right for a kindness movement in our country. We seem to be divided. I just want to see us all living in harmony.”

For more information about Bob Votruba, his mission and his bus tour visit his Web site and blog at www.OneMillionActsOfKindness.com