“716Bros” Banner Project Spreads Happiness

Before school officially started, Smallwood Elementary School teachers got a welcome back gift of happiness from two second-graders. On their first day back to set up classrooms, teachers found a gift of “happiness” waiting for them on their car windshields when they left for the day. On each car was a colorful felt banner with a cutout of a buffalo and a stuffed heart. A little sticker said “I’m Free, Take Me Home! Soak up some Happiness and/or Pass it on!”

The creators of the ‘716 Bros’ banner project are Ben and John Emerson, 7-year-old twin brothers, who came up with the idea of spreading happiness by creating the small felt banners and leaving them around WNY for people to find. 

The project was born out of a little bit of boredom, an ample supply of felt and access to their mom’s sewing machine. When the boys’ friends went out of town on summer vacation, the brothers found themselves with lots of free time. They had also seen the Free Hugs Guy in Williamsville and it gave them the idea that just seeing something could make people happy.

“We had an idea to do the banners and spread a little happiness,” said John, who was also inspired by a class project last year in first grade where he had to use recycled materials. 

“I really wanted to learn how to sew because my mom has this sewing machine,” said Ben.

Their mom, Christina, taught them both to sew, starting off making pillow cases to get the feel of the machine and how to maintain a line of straight stitches. They stitched the banners and their mom stitched the tiny hearts. Their older brother Luke helped behind the scenes with cutting the banners and hearts. 

“Our mom decided to put a buffalo on it and we decided to put hearts in there,” said Ben.

From start to finish, it takes about 20 minutes to make a banner. The banners have two parts that can be shared; the banner itself and the stuffed heart. Or the recipients can keep both parts. 

They have been spreading the word about the banners through an Instagram account (@716bros) that is managed by Christina. It features photos of local places they have dropped off banners including Bisons and Bills games, Wilkinson Pointe, Canalside, and several places in Eggertsville and Williamsville. One instagram post shows a google map with hearts where banners have been spotted in Alaska, Kansas City, Louisville, Cincinnati, Myrtle Beach, Detroit, Rochester, Las Vegas, Seattle, and Crystal Beach.

This summer when they took one to Canalside to leave on Shark Girl, they were nearby when a little girl found it.

“We saw her get one,” Ben said. “She loved it, she hugged it.”

Friends and neighbors have offered to help place the banners throughout WNY. In a coincidence, Ben’s soon-to-be second grade teacher found a banner over the summer that they had left at a local ice cream shop. So when they met on the first day of school, they discovered that connection.

They had so many of the hearts made, they decided to offer a Jar of Hearts to Mrs. Noe, the school counselor, and another one to Mrs. Marzocchi, the assistant principal, so when kids were having a hard day, they could get a colorful stuffed heart to make them feel a little better.

Since school is back in session, Christina is doing most of the sewing and the boys do the assembly. They have started making them in fall colors. 

The brothers each have unique skills that help them work well together. John is the organized one and Ben is the creative one. Their advice to kids thinking of doing a project is to just share the ideas with the community.

“If they have an idea, don’t be afraid to do the idea,” said John.