HUDSON FALLS | When the students at Hudson Falls Intermediate School arrived to start their day on Monday, they received a hero’s welcome through a “kindness tunnel.”

As they walked down the hallway, they received high-fives and greetings from local police, elected officials and costumed mascots on either side.

The fanfare was to kick off the school’s Great Kindness Challenge, which is a week dedicated to doing good deeds for others.

“I thought it was great because we got to high-five the people who are helping our state,” said 9-year-old Traben Patterson.

Traben said he is going to donate money to a local soup kitchen as one of his good deeds.

The energy in the hallways was just phenomenal, according to fourth-grade teacher Heather Craner.

“The smiles were great,” she said.

The Great Kindness Challenge was started by an organization called Kids for Peace in 2012 to address bullying and improve school climate, according to its website. It began with three schools in Carlsbad, California, and has grown to nearly 2.2 million children across the country participating in 2015.