Local teacher and celebrity Maria Menounos, two of many continuing the good deeds of random acts of kindness...the big lesson is to share your acts in order to inspire others

Grafton High School English teacher Karla Evers has seized the opportunity to engage her students.

Medford native and “Access Hollywood” host Maria Menounos joined in. “I sent treats 2my teachers @AnnCurry: Despite your wish to be humble, reveal your #20Acts #26Acts of kindness Theres honor in inspiring others,” she tweeted last week.

From buying strangers cups of coffee to making anonymous gifts of cash, Bay Staters are doing good deeds to honor victims of the Newtown school shooting.

NBC television personality Ann Curry recently suggested via Twitter that people remember the teachers and children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., through generous acts using the hashtag #26actsofkindness or #26acts.

Since Curry announced the campaign Dec. 16, it 
has earned more than 85,000 likes on Facebook (facebook.com/26acts).

Grafton High School English teacher Karla Evers has seized the opportunity to engage her students.

“As a teacher watching everything happen in Newtown, I felt helpless. I really wanted to put it into action. The next morning I went into the school and put a sign up in the lobby and asked kids to follow me and I put the hashtag up,” Evers, 43, said.

The Shrewsbury mother of two has treated strangers to Dunkin’ Donuts, helped a fellow supermarket customer unload groceries, and made out Christmas cards with $5 tucked inside to leave on random people’s cars.

She’s also offered hugs.

“It’s just been a way you feel like you can reach and do something positive when there is something negative happening,” Evers said.

Congregants at Temple Isaiah in Lexington have flooded the house of worship’s Facebook page with pictures of hand-held signs detailing their good deeds.

“We volunteer filming meetings for the Lexington Veteran’s Association. #26acts,” wrote two young men. Another post read, “I wrote letters to the families that lost loved ones in Newtown, CT.”

Medford native and “Access Hollywood” host Maria Menounos joined in. “I sent treats 2my teachers @AnnCurry: Despite your wish to be humble, reveal your #20Acts #26Acts of kindness Theres honor in inspiring others,” she tweeted last week.

Kevin McLeod of Melrose started his march to 26 by setting an example for his 11-year-old daughter at a recent family meal.

“I gave a waitress a very large tip at a Friendly’s,” he said. “It just sort of helps people make a behavioral change.”

He followed that up with buying coffee for man on the street. McLeod tweeted: “Treated the gent selling “Spare Change”, the #boston paper by the homeless to @starbucks #26acts.”

“I think people have had enough,” said McLeod, a creative director for a Boston marketing firm. “I plan on helping people out on a daily basis, a Twitter campaign or not.”