The third Saturday in September honours and remembers the life of a remarkable teenager, Becca Schofield, who while battling terminal cancer made a simple request; for people to be kind to another.

18 doves, each representing a year of Becca Schofield’s life, were released at a family gathering at a Riverview, N.B. park.

“You see these doves, they fly up, they get in formation and they fly home. So to me there’s a lot of hope in that, a lot of joy in that,” says Anne Schofield, Becca’s mother.

The family did the same last year, five months before Schofield succumbed to the terminal cancer she had been battling since she was 16-years-old.

“Becca has made it a better place. She’s really proof that one person can make a huge difference in the world,” says Ann Seamans, mayor of Riverview.

As a way to permanently honour the teenager who encouraged people to be kind to one another, the province has declared the third Saturday in September as ‘Becca Schofield Day’.

“I encourage all New Brunswickers to do what you can to keep Becca’s spirit alive,” says Brian Gallant, leader of the N.B. Liberal party.

Events in Becca’s memory were held across the province. A free car wash at the Riverview Fire Department raised donations towards the newly named and renovated Becca Schofield Playground.

“As soon as I heard ‘Becca told me to’, it was ‘Yeah let’s get it done,” says Jay Offer.

“I’m from Riverview, I love helping out the community, and I’m also a volunteer firefighter so when they asked for my help, I was glad to help,” says Shannon Knighton-Whalen of the Riverview Fire Department.

On Friday, kindness cards were distributed throughout the province, one for every student. That translates into about 100,000 acts of kindness.

“All of our students on Friday we’re given the cards and challenged to see what they could do this weekend in their community, in their homes, for their moms and dads and nannies and grampys,” says Karla Webster, Principal of West Riverview Elementary School.

The celebrations of Becca Schofield Day plan to continue into Saturday evening, with a barbeque being held at the Riverview Arts Centre, followed by a free concert. All to celebrate a young woman who’s only request was for people to be kind to each other.

As Becca said last year; “It’s Becca Schofield Day today, but in my heart it’s been Becca Schofield Day every day. To be kind, to show the love that you have in your heart, that you have to give the world. It makes me so happy to know that it’s going to continue.”

To date, random acts of kindness have been performed in Becca’s name in 94 countries around the world.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis.