Be Kind Rewind

Lessons GOLD 905 jocks VERNETTA LOPEZ and MIKE KASEM learned from paying strangers’ bills, giving out umbrellas on rainy days and — gasp — being nice to keyboard warriors.

- Cheryl Ong

8 DAYS: The Make Someone’s Day video has gone viral. In it, you helped pay the grocery bills of strangers. Tell us more about the campaign. 

VERNETTA LOPEZ: It was inspired by the Fill My Basket movement in Oklahoma City. We decided to do the same and go out to the grocery store and pay someone’s bills. The reaction was amazing. The act of paying someone’s bill just hit home. Some were so overwhelmed with the kindness that they went on to pay it forward. 

MIKE KASEM: You cannot help but feel something when you see the dad who was crying at the end of the video ’cos he was so touched. You don’t know if he was panicking about that bill that they were going to pay or maybe he was just so touched by somebody being nice to him. 

You’ve known each other for 15 years. What’s the kindest thing you’ve done for each other?

MIKE: The kindest thing Vern has ever done for me was to get me in touch with the radio people here in Singapore. She essentially got me this job — she had heard my demo in the States and thought I’d be perfect for radio here. When I first moved here and didn’t have a place to stay, she let me live with her. 

VERNETTA: Mike’s best buds with my hubby. So we let him stay with us for six months without paying rent. 

MIKE: I did her dishes and cleaned up the kitchen. 

VERNETTA: Mike has always been there for me and my husband in many ways. He’s always the first one to…