Not sure about you guys, but I have been walking around with a silly smile on my face since Saturday afternoon. The energy from Pay It Backward Day was electrifying and has many of us feeling like anything is possible …and you know what, that was exactly the point. We wanted to demonstrate that when we work together even a small act of kindness, like buying the person behind you a coffee, can can make a BIG impact.

I know breaking a world record for acts of coffee kindness won’t exaclty abolish war or famine or poverty and that our little event didn’t raise enought funds to open a new wing at the SickKids Hospital, but hopfully it did show people that doing good is not only the right thing to do, but that it can also be wicked FUN!

At the end of the day we had an amazing time, brought out lots of great local performers, athletes and celebrity Do Gooders and ended up making history and setting a new world record, all while raising both money and awareness for an amazing local charity.

Over the past few days we have been getting a lot of praise for the event and I wanted to take a moment to recognize the genius team behind the scenes. This event existed because of their dedication and goodwill. I am humbled to have been apart of this amazing event and will never forget all of you beautiful people.

Top Row: Satish Kanwar, Dan Hocking, Benny Banipal Pushpinder (Second Cup owner), Andrew Peek, Jon Lim, Suresh Doss and Bretton MacLean.

Second Row: Verne Ho, Tiffany Storbel, Kamwal Pushpinder, Afshin Mousavian, Pamela Dennis, Erin Bury, Darius Bashar, Idan Nulman Rida Rehmani,

Front Row: Cheryl Ho, Golbarg Tafreshi and Martin Rubio

Not In Picture - Casie Stewart, Nina, Shayan Safaei, Ash Mousavian, Scott Stratten and Tiffany Shum

I also wanted to send a special shout out to the pibTO cheer squad that stuck it out in the ridiculously cold weather and kept all of our spirts up with their warm smiles and hilarious jokes. You guys made the day even more memorable! This city is so full of LOVE that I just can help but ooze with gratitude everytime I think about Saturday!

I think Verne Ho said it best when he tweeted “I love every single person that was a part of #pibto”. #perfect!

On Saturday April 04th-2009 hundreds of Torontonians came out to a local coffee shop in the heart of the city to prove that when we unite over small acts of kindness, we can collectively create a big impact - and eventually change the world.

We want to thank everyone who came out to support the cause. We love each and everyone of you!

For information on our next event email us at events{at}dailychallenge{dot}org.

Special THANK YOU to Suresh and Nina of www.spotlighttoronto.com for this amazing video. Thank you for helping us share our story with the world!

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!

Saturday is going to be filled with excitement, energy and entertainment!

The Pay It Backward team has been working hard to put together an awesome experience for Saturday.  I’m very excited to be part of the team and let you know about the entertainment we’re got planned!

Toronto’s Flow 93.5 will be broadcasting live on location at Second Cup. Their Street Team will be cheering you on as you exit Second Cup to a crowd of ‘Do Gooders’, photographers and notable Toronto celebrities. We will be be giving out $50 iTunes gift cards to every hundredth person as they make their way through the line.

Canada’s professional basketball trickster, Q-Mack, will be showing off his b-ball skills to the crowd. He can do some amazing things with a basketball, check him out on YouTube to see what you’re in for! Along with Q-Mack, the North American Freestyle Soccer Champion, Eli Freeze and his Canadian Freestyle Soccer team will be sharing tricks and techniques. These athletes will be a great attraction for people of all ages!

Helping out behind the Second Cup counter serving drinks  will be Michael Landsberg, the host of TSN’s Off The Record, and Erica Ehm one of Canada’s most recognized television personalities & host of the Yummy Mummy Club.

If you can’t make it out to the event you can follow the event live, in real time, on UStream.TV.  There will be also lots of updates on Twitter and Facebook from people taking part in the record breaking event.

Looking forward to seeing you there and breaking a world record together!

- Casie

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

It was holiday cheer on an early Wednesday morning in chilly December 2007 that started the now well-renowned ”Pay It Backward” record to beat.

A woman at a Starbucks’ drive-thru in Seattle offered to buy the drink for the customer in-line behind her, leaving behind a simple “happy holidays” wish before she sped off quickly down the street. From this first random act of kindness at 8:00am on Wednesday began a chain of 489 more until 8:00am the next morning.

Stranger after stranger, doing their part to spread good ol’ kindness in the drive-thru and inside lobby line-ups. Together, they set the unofficial world “Pay It Backward” record of 490 within a 24 hour period.

World Records are Meant to Fall

Andrew said it best in the introductory post, “Records are set so that someone might one day aspire to beat them.”

This record in particular inspires us to push ourselves and the people around us - that means you - just a little more to showcase our Toronto. In fact, we think it will warrant us the title of the ‘Do Good’ Capital of the World.

All We Need is 490, +1. No oddities, no questions, and no spins.

It’s more than buying the person behind you a coffee. It’s putting a smile on their face. It’s saying hello. It’s doing something kind.

To Recap the Deets

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!

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

With Pay It Backward Day only 10 days away now, we wanted to make sure you had access to all of the wonderful things available for you to help spread the word.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again - it’s the one thing that geeks and girl scouts have in common… badges! Thanks to the great work of designer Tiffany Shum and our own Verne Ho, we’ve now got lots of badges for you to download. You’ll also notice they’ve given the event a snazzy looking new logo.

So go ahead, throw it up on your blog, Facebook profile, Twitter avatar, or shirt sleeve. Click here to download your badges!

You may also have come across our Facebook event page. We’re doing the official RSVP for the event through Facebook, so be sure you’ve added yourself to it. You can also use it to post any questions or comments, as well as invite your friends and family to the April 4 event! Click here to see the Facebook event!

Let us know if you have any other ideas or requests.

A couple months back I was presented with an opportunity to organize a great charity event in Toronto called TwestivalTO. The first “Twestival”, or “Twitter festival”, was held in London, England this past September. The party raised money for a local charity, and was such a success that the organizers decided to do it on a global scale. On February 12th, 2009, cities all around the world held their Twestivals for charity: water (the charity of choice), with global sponsors like Amiando and TipJoy as well as organizers in cities from NYC to Paris to Toronto. Sarah Prevette and I were lucky enough to play a leading role in Toronto’s participation and the experience was something I’ll never forget.

In the end, Twestival went down on February 12th in over 120 cities around the world. The Toronto event was a huge success – nearly 600 people attended and we raised over $10,000 for charity: water. Suffice it to say that I saw, first-hand, how a great event for a great cause can move Torontonians to care for, give to, and help the people around them. When I was presented with the opportunity to get involved with Pay It Backward Day, naturally, I said yes!

You can expect some of the same magic that we saw from TwestivalTO, back again with Pay It Backward TO. I’ve managed to wrangle in a few of the magicians from Twestival (@casiestewart and @skanwar) and recruit a few more of my favourite web personalities. Toronto has pulled off events like this before (TwestivalTO for example) and I’m really hoping that with Pay It Backward Day, we can solidify this city as one of the world’s most active and kind.

See everyone there!

Oh… and here’s some of the fun that was had at TwestivalTO.

TwestivalTO > Feb 12/09 from Suresh on Vimeo.