It’s Friday and here’s some good news to make sure you end the week feeling fine. In this week’s Daily Challenge Good News Report, you’ll find Do Gooders in Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and West Michigan:

Good News Links For April 24, 2009:

1. Investment banker pays-it-forward full-time and educates girls in Southeast Asia. (source: Wall Street Journal)
2. A father’s story about a noble sacrifice his 8-year-old daughter made. (source: HelpOthers.org)
3. Two anonymous Do Gooders run amok in Michigan doing good - video. (source: CNN)
4. Bringing peace to the middle East by building schools and bridges, one penny at a time. (source: CBS news)
5. One people, one family. A man’s dream for a united planet. (source: HelpOthers.org)

To share your feel-good stories, email us at goodnews {at} dailychallenge {dot} org.

Come Join the first ever Living Green Ribbon event in Toronto!

The green ribbon is the internationally recognized symbol for organ and tissue donation. By using people to form the ribbon shape, we symbolize the life-giving and life-enhancing affects of organ and tissue donation. Each person who makes up the ribbon represents those on waiting lists across the province and country. It also symbolizes the donors and donor families who have given so generously to help others.

Together we can deliver a strong message all Ontarians that organ and tissue donation works, saves lives, gives sight, eases suffering and provides a second chance to many who feared that chance would never come.

Details: Contact Info: Brian Kellow- 416 619 2304

Date: Thursday, April 23, 2009
Time: 4:30pm - 6:00pm
Location: Queen’s Park, South Lawn
Street: University and College
City/Town: Toronto, ON
Events Page URL: Click Here

Hey all Do Gooders, Fefe Dobson here. Just like you, I believe in giving my time to help people. I was lucky to be part of the first Earth Hour concert at Nathan Philips Square in 2008 and 411 Initiative for Change.

So I have a new challenge for you today. It’s called ChangeTheWorld Ontario Youth Volunteer Challenge sponsored by the Province of Ontario. ChangeTheWorld encourages youth ages 14 to 18 to volunteer five hours during National Volunteer Week which is happening now: April 19-25, 2009.

I believe it’s important to show youth how important social responsibility is to our communities and how everyone can make a difference. Many volunteer centres across Ontario have opportunities waiting to be filled. You should think about this. Here are some facts about how volunteering helps everyone:

•    Over 5 million Ontario volunteers contribute the equivalent of more than 400,000 full-time jobs, worth over $10 billion annually, by volunteering for over 800 million hours a year.
•    Ontario’s volunteers have founded and govern over 45,000 nonprofit groups, of which 54% are entirely run by volunteers.

As Do Gooders, you know acts of kindness make a difference. I challenge you to hook up with your family and friends and contact your local volunteer centre through this website address: http://www.ontario.ca/changetheworld

Help by painting at a community centre, organizing a second-hand clothing shop for charity, or engaging seniors in a game of Wii. It only takes a few hours of you time and you’ll feel great afterwards!

Thanks

Fefe

Lets show the world that social media can be used for the greater good and bring this little girl home to her parents.

5 Steps to help bring Victoria (Tori) Stafford home:

1) Watch this short video and SHARE - http://tinyurl.com/FindTori

2) Email 3+ friends with a link to this blog post.

3) Join the facebook group and SHARE - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=78966007726

4) Take today’s challenge and SHARE - http://www.dailychallenge.org/challenges/view.php?id=1125

5) Tell 3 people at work about Tori today.

We know you are all busy but for a moment put yourself in the shoes of her parents who have their world turned upside down. PLEASE take 5 mins out of your day and to help us bring this beautiful little girl home.

Thank you for your help Do Gooders!

We know you guys loved the last pibTO video so here is a slightly shorter, but equally as fun video that our great friend Jon Lim has graciously prepared for us. This video shows Jon’s perspective of our April 04th world record breaking event.

Still brings back a wave of emotions and great memories. Well done Jon!

It’s Good Friday today and what better day to hear some good news around the world?

This week’s Do Gooder Report covers stories from Toronto and New York to the Atlantic Ocean and Kenya. Hopefully these uplifting stories will make your day even better!

Good News Links For April 10, 2009:

1. Toronto pays it backward, raises money for charity and breaks a world record! (one source: Metro.ca)
2. Subway hero saves life. (source: NYTimes.com)
3. Young man rows across Atlantic for cancer. (source: CNN.com)
4. Ancient tortoise befriends rescued, baby hippo in Kenyan animal sanctuary. (source: npr.org)
5. Project Destiny uses chess to help troubled youth. (source: USAtoday.com)

To share your feel-good stories, email us at goodnews {at} dailychallenge {dot} org.

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!