A man from Ohio visited southwestern Connecticut Saturday to spread the message of kindness.

Bob Votruba says he has been on the road meeting with kids, teens, and young adults across the country for eight years. He travels in the Kindness Bus, a vehicle covered in messages about encouraging love, stopping hate and respecting others.

Votruba says he felt compelled to champion kindness after the Virginia Tech mass shooting in April 2007.

"The thought was here's this individual with all this hurt and hate in his heart. I'm an individual too, what's the other end of the spectrum?" he says. "All this kindness, all this compassion and respect we can have for one another."

Votruba brings the bus to school programs but also parks it in communities and speaks with whoever walks up.

He has collected about 500 messages from people along the way.

The Kindness Bus will be parked in Easton on Sport Hill Road Sunday morning until 12:30 p.m. It will be traveling to other parts of Connecticut throughout the week.