We are now only 7 days away from what’s set to be the most exciting Do Gooder phenomenon ever seen by Ontarians!
Pay It Backward Day is taking place at 170+ Second Cup cafes across the province next Wednesday, September 30. With the support of our sponsors The Second Cup Ltd and Silk Soy Beverage, together as a community will be raising funds for the amazing SickKids Hospital through 2000 small acts of kindness.
Here’s how you can get involved right now:
Join the Movement- Connect to the Pay It Backward Day website easily with your Facebook or Daily Challenge account to join hundreds of other Do Gooders.
Find Your Location- Pinpoint the Second Cup cafe in your ‘hood that you’re going to pay it back at. Why not take your friends, family or colleagues with you for the magic?
Hit the Headquarters- Are you in the Downtown Toronto area? Come join us at 307 Queen St. (Queen/John) for special entertainment, celebrities, media, and more on September 30th!
Share the Goodness - Invite your Facebook friends to the Pay It Backward day website, post badges on your blog, or tweet away with #PIBday!
Watch the Videos - See the amazing videos on YouTube entitled “I’m Alive Today Because of SickKids” and “Why do YOU Pay It Backward?”.
Enter the Contest - You could win an iPod Nano with a click of a button if you’re participating in Pay It Backward Day!
Contrary to popular belief, September 30th’s Pay It Backward Day isn’t just about coffee. Though we are hoping to encourage thousands of acts of ‘coffee kindness’ in order to raise money for SickKids Foundation, it is important to keep the bigger picture in mind.
In truth, the heart of the Pay It Backward Day movement goes far beyond buying a single cup of coffee for somebody one day of the year. Really…take a moment to imagine if every person in every country did something kind for somebody else every day of the year. What would the world be like? Pretty powerful stuff.
Ultimately, the Pay It Backward Day movement aspires to positively impact a community. ‘Paying it backward’ can (and usually does) mean something special and unique to everyone who comes out in support. Whether it be to cultivate a compassionate awareness in the community, to encourage people to be proactive, or to reign in a sense of social consciousness - people everywhere pay it backward for a greater purpose. There’s no right or wrong answer to the question “Why do you pay it backward?”
Peep this brand new #PIBday video featuring a mix of local celebrities, influencers, and every-day Torontonians telling us why they will be paying it backward next Wednesday:
So… Do Gooders of the interwebs…why do YOU Pay It Backward? Let us know!
**Super huge thank you to Notable TV for all of their amazing work on this video! And of course our all star Do Gooders line up that helped us film the shoot.
One of the best parts of going to a concert for a great band is the crowd. It begins with the excitement that fills the air entering the venue. We’re all there to see a favourite artist and the excitement pouring into the stadium is palpable. Which songs will they play? What will they open with? What will be said on stage? The house lights go down, the stage lights go up, and we’re all entranced.
The energy of the crowd reaches another level when the band plays their biggest hits and cellphones and camera flashbulbs fill the air. Then, almost invariably, something magical happens. The lead singer brings us to the chorus and… stops singing. But the concert doesn’t grind to a halt. Rather, the voices of the crowd fill the air. Some of us can sing, and some of us can only yell – but from all that practice alone in our room or in the shower, we all know the words. And by the thousands of us coming together, we create something that none of us could ever achieve on our own, and something none of us will soon forget.
When I learned that the second installment of Pay it Backward Day would bring together people from across Ontario at over 170 Second Cup locations, I felt that same excitement of entering the stadium before a big show. So many of us buy a coffee every day, but we do it alone and we do it for ourselves. On September 30, we’ll have a chance to do something we’d do on our own anyways, but by Paying it Backward, we unite. By joining the movement, our voices unite to create something we could never duplicate on our own. We will make history and we’ll help hundreds, even thousands of children just by doing we’d do on our own anyways. But by doing it together.
So let’s raise our voices and make September 30th a day to remember. Pay it Backward, everybody - we all know the words so let’s make something memorable.
Pay It Backward Day is a BIG event, so it clearly deserves the proper kick-off fiesta. This September 22nd, Daily Challenge and Notable TV will host the official Pre PIB Day Party - and it’s going to be quite the classy event.
Here are a few quick details…
Where: Atelier (508 King West, King and Spadina)
When: Tuesday, September 22nd: 7pm-10pm
Who: Some of Toronto’s most influential Do-Gooders and social media gurus
This hot event will be a fabulous pre-cursor to September 30th’s Pay It Backward Day! We’re looking forward to rallying the community behind such an amazing cause.
Aside from being TONS of fun and inspiring the community to commit small acts of kindness, Pay It Backward Day is a wonderful event because it supports one of Canada’s most amazing institutions: The Hospital for Sick Children…aka SickKids Hospital.
When we first entertained the idea of Pay It Backward Day, we reached out to our Daily Challenge community and asked, ‘We want to support a cause. What should it be?’ - the answer was overwhelminglySickKids Foundation. And now we know why.
Over the past few months, we’ve come to realize that almost everyone in our community knows someone whose life has been touched by this one-of-a-kind hospital. Here at Daily Challenge, we were fortunate enough to connect with a few people who owe their life to their experience at SickKids. Being able to hear each survivor’s personal journey first-hand was truly inspirational - so much so, that we compiled a short 3-minute video of clips from their interviews to share with you.
The video, a montage of powerful clips and interview excerpts, certainly invites goosebumps and perhaps even a tear or two. But, most importantly, its a fabulous reminder as to why everyone should Pay It Backward for SickKids Hospital on September 30th.
Grab some tissues. Check it out. Tweet it. Facebook it. Blog it. Love it.
HUGE thank you’s go to: Jon Lim, our lovely and super patient videographer, as well as to the band Ohbijou for letting us use their beautiful song, “Wildfires.”
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…
Attention ladies and gents! The ‘old hollywood glamour’ themed TwestivalTO in support of MealExchange is THIS SATURDAY(that’s tomorrow)! Talk about an awesome way to help out a charitable cause, make some amazing memories, and look like a hottie in the process!
Here’s the lowdown…
For only $20, you get to:
Cruise aboard one of the Mariposa cruise line’s most spectacular ships (from 8-11:30 pm, woo!)
Mix and mingle with the finest of Toronto’s social media crowd
Enjoy free appetizers courtesy of the lovely team at Sprouter
Have a chance to win some sick prizes, including: the new Palm Pre, tickets to an exclusive TIFF event, a subscription to Freshbooks, two brand new uCorders, and a Molson CFL Tailgate Prize Pack!
…But want to know the best part of all?! 100% of the $20 ticket sales go directly to MealExchange, an intiative fighting hunger in Toronto. TwestivalTO hopes to raise $5000 for MealExchange - which would be enough to provide 178 youth leaders and over 6,200 meals to the hungry.
So far, just over 200 tickets have been sold for this epic event. Help TwestivalTO reach its goal of selling 500 tickets by spreading the word! Tweet it. Facebook it. Blog it. Also, get YOUR tickets today! You have until tomorrow at 5pm to score your tix, so chop chop!
Together we can make a huge difference for the fight against hunger in our local TO community. Please visit the TwestivalTO website for further deets and info.
After Michael Jackson abruptly passed away this summer, millions of people spoke out in memory of one of history’s most incredible song artists and performers. In honor of the late MJ’s recent birthday on August 29, I’d like to share with you one of the coolest ‘memorials’ that I’ve come across… (Thanks Dee for the tip)!
On July 8th, people in Stockholm paid their tribute to the King of Pop in their own unique - and might I say, AWESOME - way!
On the afternoon of the 8th, over 300 dancers gathered at 3:30 pm to learn the choreography for Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ in less than half an hour. A few short moments later, they were spontaneously performing in a crowded city square in Stockholm, to the delight of thousands of unsuspecting passersby. The effect was…enormous.
Apparently we served up a pretty nice Pay It Backward Day. Ah yes, it’s a beautiful thing… as it seems we successfully whet the appetite of Torontonian Do-Gooders with our record-breaking pibTO this past April 4th. Ever since we broke the world record for coffee acts of kindness at a local Second Cup café and donated 100% of the proceeds to SickKids Hospital, the community’s demand for more ‘good’ events has been exponential.
Whether it’s via tweets, blog posts, or the ever-so-traditional email, we have heard your cry for another opportunity to do some good in your ‘hood’. And so, this September 30th, we present you with Pay It Backward Day 2.0! Bring your party hats, because it’s going to be a good time!
Alongside our amazing sponsors, Second Cup and Silk Soy Beverage, we invite Do Gooders across Ontario to join us on Sept. 30th at any participating Second Cup location to “pay it backward” by buying the order for the person behind them in line. Every time this happens, our sponsors will donate $5* to SickKids Foundation! We’re shooting for the stars here - hoping to inspire 2,000 acts of “coffee kindness” in order to raise $10,000 for SickKids Foundation in a single day!
So, the moral of the story? Help us make a BIG impact for SickKids through small acts of kindness by visiting a participating Second Cup on September 30th and offering to ‘pay it backward.’
Be on the lookout for the launch of www.dailychallenge.org/pib, where you’ll be able to find out more information about the initiative and JOIN THE MOVEMENT!
Okay, so I know it’s a bit early to start going all ‘lovey dovey’ on you - as that glorious February 14th date is still a bit far off. But hey, guess what? Valentine’s Day isn’t the only day that there’s room in the air - or, in the blogosphere for that matter - for love to float around. And thank goodness for that…or 364 days of the year would be bad news bears.
Anywho, a special thanks to Stephanie Miller of livelighter for introducing Daily Challenge to I Choose Love, an inspirational video that simply begs the rhetorical question, “I choose love. What do you choose?” As I watched it, I felt lulled into a sense of humbled self-reflection. Yes, this video provides its viewers with a refreshing and motivating perspective on the world - helping us to, well…choose to love in the midst of what can seem like a crazy, mixed-up life at times. Definitely a message worth spreading 365 days a year.
If you’re looking for something to propel you through that ‘hump day’ afternoon lull at the office, I highly suggest that you check out this video or pay a visit to the I Choose Love website to learn more about this thought-provoking movement.
Enjoy - and keep checkin’ in for more good news from the Do Gooder Daily! Cheers to loveeeeee!
This is the official blog for Do Gooders. It is the vehicle for the Daily Challenge story and the tool to get you directly involved in the project so you can become part of the story, too.
We are now only 7 days away from what’s set to be the most exciting Do Gooder phenomenon ever seen by Ontarians!
oders, it’s time to party! 
As of today, the 
Attention ladies and gents! The ‘old hollywood glamour’ themed 
Okay, so I know it’s a bit early to start going all ‘lovey dovey’ on you - as that glorious February 14th date is still a bit far off. But hey, guess what? Valentine’s Day isn’t the only day that there’s room in the air - or, in the blogosphere for that matter - for love to float around. And thank goodness for that…or 364 days of the year would be bad news bears.
