Events

11 ways to participate in One Boston Day

The day encourages acts of kindness around the city.

The Boston Strong tribute on Commonwealth Avenue. Jean Nagy / Boston.com

By Kristin Toussaint

April 15 will from now on be known as “One Boston Day” thanks to a proclamation Mayor Marty Walsh signed earlier this month. Last year marked the beginning of the tradition: a day on which Boston honors the anniversary of the 2013 Marathon bombings by encouraging “random acts of kindness and spreading goodwill.”

“April 15 is a date that has come to stand for our city’s deepest values, and we continue to be amazed by the spirit of the day, in the City, and around the world,’’ Walsh previously said.

Here’s what Boston-area businesses have planned to help you honor this new day.

Visit the Museum of Science’s Butterfly Garden for free

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Spend a peaceful afternoon overlooking the Charles River in the museum’s conservatory full of beautiful butterflies and exotic plants. (Museum of Science, 1 Science Park; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

Get $0 admission to the Museum of Fine Arts

Boston’s MFA will open its doors for free after 4 p.m. this Friday and stay open until 10 p.m. It’s a great time to check out their current exhibit, Megacities Asia. (Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.)

Go to the Sports Museum at TD Garden for free

Obviously Boston is a great sports city, and you can indulge in all that history at the Sports Museum, which houses everything from pieces of the old Boston Garden to the original Bruin stuffed bear cub. (TD Garden, 100 Legends Way; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Hug the Boston Ballet Nutcracker Bear

The bear from the Boston Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker will be hanging around Copley Square at noon to spread some love to passersby. (Copley Square; 12 p.m.)

Sip on a drink from Cosi while helping the Greater Boston Food Bank

All Boston-area Cosi restaurants are offering a handcrafted beverage when customers make in-store donations to the Greater Boston Food Bank. (All Boston area locations; various hours)

Get a cocktail and donate to a Marathon Bombing survivor

RumBa, the bar and lounge at InterContinental Hotel Boston, will donate $5 from every signature cocktail sold on Friday to benefit Boston Marathon Bombing survivor Heather Abbott. (InterContinental Hotel Boston, 510 Atlantic Ave; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.)

Eat dessert to donate to the Martin Richard Foundation

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What could be sweeter than helping out a good cause while dining on some dessert? From Friday to Monday, Bostonia Public House will donate all proceeds from their sweet potato, bourbon-glazed doughnuts dessert to the Martin Richard Foundation. (Bostonia Public House, 131 State St.; 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.)

Go on a complimentary Boston Duck Tour

For military members and their families, Boston Duck Tours will offer free rides and Museum of Science admissions. Home Base Veterans is a partnership between the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital aimed at helping veterans and their families heal from the “invisible wounds of war.” (Museum of Science, Science Park; 8:30 a.m.)

Help Flint, Michigan

All Boston Public Library locations will serve as donation drop-off centers to donate baby formula, hand sanitizer, and baby wipes to aid Flint, Michigan residents currently dealing with the water crisis. (All BPL locations, Police and Fire Stations, and Boston City Hall, 1 City Hall Square; various hours)

Donate blood

On Friday, the Red Cross will be at the Sheraton Boston Hotel for a Boston Strong Blood Drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Sheraton Boston Hotel, 39 Dalton St; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

Drop off cereal to support Pine Street Inn

Stop by a Whole Foods in the South End or Beacon Hill to donate cereal boxes for Pine Street Inn. The homeless shelter says they serve 70 pounds of cereal a day to their guests. (181 Cambridge St., 348 Harrison Ave., and 15 Westland Ave.; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.)

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