MATT ROBLES/Arizona Daily Wildcat Dustin McLaws, a sign language interpreting junior, holds one of the 1,000 Ben's Bells that he helped to make and distribute around Tucson. UA professor Jeannette Maré-Packard founded the Ben's Bells program in memory of her son with hopes of spreading kindness to the Tucson community.

UA students who noticed painted objects scattered around campus this week might guess they were from the Easter Bunny, but what they actually found were Ben's Bells.

On Monday, 1,000 of the clay bells made in memorial of Ben Packard were distributed around every square mile of Tucson, said Jeannette Maré-Packard, whose son Ben died three years ago from croup, a respiratory disease.

Maré-Packard, who is an education adjunct faculty member, said the pain she endured after losing her 3-year old was helped by the overwhelming kindness she received from those around her and her family.

"The kindness doesn't take the pain away, but it helps you to believe you can keep going," Maré-Packard said.

Maré-Packard said Ben's Bells was created as a way to encourage kindness and to educate people about how much power they have.

Twice a year, teams of volunteers take the handmade bells - which are crafted by volunteers from Tucson - and hang them in places like trees and light posts all around the city, Maré-Packard said.

Some people who know about Ben's Bell's wake up early in hopes of finding one, but others just stumble upon them, said Ashley Rable, a special education and rehab junior.

"When people find one, there's just really touched to find this beautifully painted bell," said Rable, a student in Maré-Packard's deaf studies class.

Rable, who helped hang bells on Monday, said the time she spent was rewarding and caused her to think of friends who have lost loved ones.

"It was one of the best things I've probably ever done in my life," Rable said. "It was an amazing and humbling experience."

The thousands of people who have made the bells usually never meet the ones who find them, but Rable said that's OK.

"When people find Ben's Bells, they know there are people out there spreading kindness," Rable said. "It tells them there's good in the community."

Dustin McLaws, a sign language interpreting junior and student of Maré-Packard, said he became involved with the program in January.

McLaws said leaving the bells around town was "an incredible experience" and other UA students should participate sometime if they can.

"What it represents is enough to motivate students to be involved," McLaws said. "When you can be involved in a selfless service like that, it benefits you in the long run."

More than 3,500 bells have found owners since the beginning of the organization two years ago. The bells are spread throughout Tucson once in March on the anniversary of Ben's death and once in September, Maré-Packard said.

The program began through Tu Nidito, a Tucson center that helps grieving children and families, but Ben's Bells will soon become its entity, Maré-Packard said.

Maré-Packard said she hopes to open a public studio once Ben's Bells officially becomes a non-profit organization, and that there's a reason the program is growing.

"This is a real movement that Tucson has embraced absolutely and completely," Maré-Packard said. "People find it fun and hopeful and a good opportunity to volunteer with their kids."

In 2003, the first team gave out 400 bells, but this year the number has grown to 1,000. When another 1,000 are given out in September, there will be 2,000 given this year alone, Maré-Packard said.