I suppose it doesn’t have the same ring, but keep an open mind as you read down the page.

We are 2 days from kickoff!

The good news keeps filing in, the day’s events are taking shape and most importantly, the city is a buzz with Pay It Backward chirps (it’s chirps, right?).

But wait! There’s more!!

If you haven’t heard by now, we are giving away a handful of “Coffee Hero” cards for Wednesday’s events. Coffee Hero cards are probably my most favourite thing in the world right now. I’ve been begging the folks at Daily Challenge to let me have one, but to no avail. Instead, they’ve let me write a blog post about how 5 people (lucky fives!) can become the “Bee’s Knees” of PIB Day. Thanks.

A Coffee Hero card lets you walk into any Second Cup, this Wednesday, and buy coffee for everyone in sight!

I’m not kidding. This is why I love it - I’ve always wanted to blow the socks off of a bunch of strangers and make a scene while doing it. Now this is your chance. If you are the first - THE FIRST! - to do any one of the following things, we will send you a Coffee Hero card valid for Wednesday’s Pay It Backward day.  I can only hope you’ll record the scene you make… for my sake.  And your Coffee Heroes are….

1. The first person to: Tweet this post
2. The first person to: Snap a picture of our ad in today’s Metro and post to Flickr
3. The first person to: Put a PIB Badge on their website/blog
4. The first person to: Write a blog post about why they love PIB
5. The first person to: Create their own Pay It Backward Facebook Group for their friends to storm a Second Cup location together.

We’re also giving away two totally awesome Pay It Backward Day t-shirts - as seen above on our beautiful model, Samantha Holt. These two shirts go to the following Do-Gooders:

1. The first person to: recruit 2 new members to join www.dailychallenge.org
2. The first person to: to view and share this video with their networks (via Twitter, Facebook, blog, etc)

Ready? Go! (Just be sure to leave us a note in the comments once you’ve accomplished your tasks!)

As of today, the Pay It Backward Day promotions are in FULL effect - and we couldn’t be more excited!!! With the help of our amazing sponsors, The Second Cup Ltd and Silk Soy Beverage, plus a host of other media and donation sponsors, we are well on our way to blowing April 4th’s pibTO out of the water.

First of all, starting today, 170+ Second Cup cafes across Ontario are decked out in full-out Pay It Backward Day decor. From posters, to buttons, to challenge cards by the register, Pay It Backward Day is written all over the place! Silk Soy Beverage is doing their part to help us raise awareness, too - as of today, they have developed their own site devoted to this do-gooding intiative. Stop on by and learn more about the vital role that Silk is playing in the Pay It Backward Day movement!

Speaking of websites…you may have noticed that we have launched our own new, upgraded site - but if not, you’ve gotta check it out, stat!  Thanks to our glorious creative team at Jet Cooper and the dedication to excellence of our lead developer @darcy_clarke the site looks amazing and is full of tons of useful information - including maps of participating Second Cup locations, contest  and event information, and much more!

Yep, the Pay It Backward Day ball is officially rolling. If you haven’t stopped by to “Join the Movement” on our new site, I highly suggest you do so! And, in the mean time, keep your eyes peeled for more PIB Day paraphenalia floating about the city. We’ve got lots of tricks up our sleeves - so be sure to check back in with us to learn the latest Pay It Backward Day shenanigans…

Ta ta for now!

If you’ve been following the Pay It Backward buzz… well… all systems are GO!

The weather looks just fine (sunny skies) for this afternoon (at 1pm we crash the gates) and the festivities kick off at noon. We’ve also added some more fun to the day by inviting the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak who will be out to give us some encouragement (i.e. if they can wear uniforms at 8 degrees, we should probably stay quiet :P).

WHAT’S EVEN BETTER….

Late last night, Second Cup agreed to match the charitable donation of our Queen St. & John St. franchise owner, Benny! Now, instead of 50% of proceeds going to SickKids - all 100% do! And if you can’t make it out to the event, but are wondering how you can help from home… donations of any amount can be made here.

Thanks to the Globe & Mail, Breakfast Television & Rogers for all the media props in the last couple of days. For everyone getting the Pay It Backward message today for the very first time - everything you need to know is coming up in 3… 2… 1….

To recap all the need-to-knows…

What: A record-breaking day for good deeds (more than 490 “pay it backward” coffee buys).
When: April 4th @ 1 p.m. (the festivities will kickoff at noon and we will be storming the gates at 1 p.m. sharp).
Where: Second Cup at the corner of Queen St. & John St. in Toronto (beside MuchMusic). View Larger Map
How: Add your name here to confirm your attendance and get the latest news on “pibTO” as it comes available.
Why: Because doing some good feels pretty freakin’… well… GOOD!

We are practically 24 hours away from what is no doubt, going to be the only world record I might ever break in my life. This must be how Rick Astley felt when they were about to release “Never Gonna Give You Up.”

So without further adieu… here are my Top 10 Reasons for attending pibTO.

10. I’ve always wanted to be in a documentary. Now I can courtesy of @spotlightcity @jonlim and @lanaphoto.

9. I am Canadian. And this is just something we do.

8. I’m totally stoked to find out who’s coffee I’m buying and to see who will buy me my XL-sized dose of “wake up”.

7. Eli Freeze (World Champion Freestyle Soccer’ist) will be battling NBA Ambassador, Q-Mack.

6. This may be the only time I get to wear a marathon bib!

5. FLOW 93.5 will be there to “play da records” (I always wanted to say that!).

4. To have Michael Landsberg ask me controversial questions about milk vs. cream.

3. My good friend, Rob Mirian, will be shaving his long LONG flowing hair for charity at pibTO.

2. I want to say that I broke a world record to the rest of the people I meet in my life - like these folks.

1. At the end of the day - charity is one of the few things that saves us from ourselves.

And that’s my list.

See you tomorrow! The details are here again for you reading convenience.

To recap all the need-to-knows…

What: A record-breaking day for good deeds (more than 490 “pay it backward” coffee buys).
When: April 4th @ 1 p.m. (the festivities will kickoff at noon and we will be storming the gates at 1 p.m. sharp).
Where: Second Cup at the corner of Queen St. & John St. in Toronto (beside MuchMusic). View Larger Map
How: Add your name here to confirm your attendance and get the latest news on “pibTO” as it comes available.
Why: Because doing some good feels pretty freakin’… well… GOOD!

They both make us smile.

This Saturday, April 4th, we will be hosting some very special guests at Pay It Backward Day. Daily Challenge is proud to have SickKids participate as the benefiting charity of over 500 backward-coffee-buys. As we’ve mentioned on this blog, 50% of all proceeds from Pay It Backward will be going to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

And we couldn’t be happier.

SickKids is Canada’s most research-intensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to improving children’s health in the country. For Daily Challenge to be able to partner with our sponsors (Second Cup, FLOW 93.5, FreeStyleSoccer.ca, Q-Mack, Vroom Media, Artisan Complete, Ladies Who Launch, Astro Graphic and Yummy Mummy Club) and a deserving charity - all in the name of building a community of kindness, is an opportunity we’re excited to be a part of.

As a special development, the 491st coffee buy (the record breaking purchase) will be given to a SickKids patient ambassador as possibly the greatest act of kindness on a day chalked full of them. That is something to be proud of.

4 days and counting!!

/Andrew

Every historic moment needs a soundtrack. Pay it Backward Day is no exception which is why we’re thrilled to have FLOW 93.5 on board as #pibTO’s official Entertainment Sponsor!

This Saturday (oh my are we close), FLOW will be setting up shop with their always-entertaining goodies (music + personalities) at the Second Cup on the corner of Queen & John St. I was going to write “be sure to stop by the FLOW tent”, but knowing that crew, they’ll be hard to miss.

For those still asking about start times, FLOW will be curing hangovers beginning at noon and, as we’ve said all along, the first backward coffee buy will be happening at 1:00:01 pm.

Not sure about you, but I’m stoked with all kinds of awesomesauce!

/Andrew

I think it’s fair to say that most people have heard of “paying it forward”. Well, “paying it backward” isn’t as big a stretch as you might have guessed. At the end of the day, it’s still about sending good deeds to random people for no other reason than the hope they might pass it onwards.

That being said… we had a few logistical questions that came up in conversation and we thought it best to put them down on paper.

Our Top 3 FAQs…

1. Does it have to be 500 (+) coffee buys in a row? You bet it does! A good deed is a good deed with or without a world record, but since we’re shooting for the record, we’re hoping to have over 500 consecutive coffee buys without interruption.
2. Does it have to be coffee? No. If you’re craving a caramel macchiato (I do not pretend to know what that means), you’re welcome to it. If the person if front of you only brought a twoonie, well let’s just say - Daily Challenge will help with the whip cream.
3. Seriously, what time does it ACTUALLY start? We’re storming the doors at the stroke of 1pm. That being said, there will be plenty of action in the hour leading up to our first coffee buy. Rest assured, if you’re there at noon you’ll be entertained. For goodness sake though - don’t aim to be later than 1! Consecutive coffee buys are a tough gig when we’re all fashionably late!

If there are any other lingering questions (I’m sure there are), feel free to write them in the comments and we’ll be sure to explain them the best we can.

Less than 2 weeks to go!!

Recently, a world record was set in Mexico City. Nearly 40,000 people gathered in the city’s huge central plaza to lock lips in the name of peace this past Valentine’s Day. At first, it had been an act organized in response to the rising drug violence in Mexico that claimed over 6000 lives last year - although the tipping point may have been when the local mayor tried to ban kissing in the public square.

Whatever way you slice it - there were reasons abound propelling this record to fall. And fall it did. Previously, the record had been set in Britain when 32,648 kissed simultaneously in a seaside town West of London.

Two Saturdays from now - Toronto will have the same kind of opportunity. Pay It Backward Toronto isn’t about driving coffee sales and believe it or not, it isn’t just about world records. It’s about being kind. What I’m looking forward to the most, are the hundreds of moments where one person will turn to the next and say “May I get this for you?”

For all of us social media junkies out there - it’s that time - the time for everything-you-could-ever-need-to-know-about Pay It Backward Day!

We’re quite sure that all y’all will snap away with cameras and tag whatever you please, but if you’d be kind enough to include “pibTO” among those tags, we’d be ever so grateful.

For the Twitterverse - you can follow @doonegood for real time updates and subscribe to the #pibTO feed to get all the good stuff in one spot.

For the social networkers among us (I suppose in 2009, we’re all just known as “people” by now), the event attendance and updates are being conducted on Facebook right about… here.

And for the very thorough… you can find the Daily Challenge Video Archives here and the Photo Gallery here.

If you have some additional places where you like to hide things, don’t hesitate to leave us a comment and a map to get there.

Cheers!

It’s true. Records are set so that we might aspire to do better. So that we have a threshold worth crossing. To inspire us to do a little more, be a little greater, and etch our legacy a little deeper into history.

At Daily Challenge we understand that we’re lucky. We have a network of people within earshot - all of whom have something propelling them to do such things as break a world record. So that’s just what we’re going to do!

It’s official now. On April 4th at 1 p.m. sharp, the single longest “pay it backward” coffee line will begin at Second Cup on Queen and John Streets in Toronto. If you’re wondering “what in the heck is a ‘pay it backward’ coffee line?” then you may want to check out the first daily challenge we ever released.

Partners & Sponsors

We’re also pleased to announce that the Second Cup franchise, where we’ll be hosting the event, will be donating 50% of all proceeds to the SickKids Foundation! We couldn’t be happier to have found a business willing to match the compassion of our “Do Gooder” network, and to have the beneficiary be a local charity. We’re also excited to have the Freestyle Soccer team on board and will keep you posted as more day-of entertainment rolls in (stay tuned to our events page).

Back to the record for a moment. Our team of dedicated researchers (i.e. the google) has discovered a world record of 490 “pay it backward” coffee buys. Please make sure you come out and help put Toronto in the books for good (I love puns!). You can confirm your attendance through our Facebook event and get the latest news on our event page.

To recap all the need-to-knows…

What: A record-breaking day for good deeds (more than 500 “pay it backward” coffee buys).
When: April 4th @ 1 p.m. (the festivities will kickoff at noon and we will be storming the gates at 1 p.m. sharp).
Where: Second Cup at the corner of Queen St. & John St. in Toronto (beside MuchMusic). View Larger Map
How: Add your name here to confirm your attendance and get the latest news on “pibTO” as it comes available.
Why: Because doing some good feels pretty freakin’… well… GOOD!