I recently read a quote from the Dalai Lama that said, “I think technology may have some benefits for a smart brain, but no capacity to produce compassion.” Oh yeah, Dalai Lama? Well, I beg to differ!

I really love this community. The Toronto Internet nerdly nerdstrom community, to clarify. I’ve only been living in this city for about two and a half years, but I feel at home here more than I’ve felt at home anywhere else. I applied for (and got) my job because keeping in touch with people I’ve met in the community; I met the man of my dreams through this community; and I have more friends now than I can remember ever having any other time in my life because of this community — REAL friends who I trust and choose to spend my life with.

Every time I tweet something about feeling down or being sick, handfuls of you make me feel like a million dollars with your sympathy and well wishes. When I celebrated my 24th birthday at a genYTO party, I walked in and received my first ever standing ovation. When I doubted my ability to run with the bulls (not literally — I’m totally sure I could do that), Sarah Prevette and Saul Colt reminded me why I’m good at what I do and how I got to where I am.

Hopefully you see where I’m going with this. This community is unbelievably supportive and kind and COMPASSIONATE.

And you know what? We’re not just about high fives and hugging each other. We do good. Check it out:

* We raised over $25,000 at the first HoHoTO in December, 2008 for the Daily Bread Food Bank and another $10,500 this August at HoHOTo.
* Also last December, joining forces all around the world, Twestival Toronto donated over $10,000 to charity: water to help build wells to provide safe drinking water to people in developing nations. And just a few weeks ago over $6,000 was given to Meal Exchange because of our community’s continuing efforts with Twestival.
* The local chapter of the World Partnership Walk got together a league of super heroes to fight global poverty and donated $2,500 to Aga Khan Foundation Canada this past May.
* The Transforming for Sick Kids team raised over $2,600 to benefit the Therapeutic Clown Program at the Hospital for SickKids in June of this year.

There are a million other efforts that should be included on this list — and I hope you yell at me for forgetting them — but the moral of the story is there’s power in numbers, baby!

And speaking of SickKids, this shouldn’t be news to you, but I can’t stress enough how important it is for everyone to go to any Second Cup location in Ontario and Pay It Backward tomorrow, September 30. Buy a coffee for the person behind you in line and with each simple act of “coffee kindness”, Second Cup, Silk Soy Beverage and Ivanhoe Cambridge will donate $5 to SickKids Foundation.

Let’s all help raise Daily Challenge’s goal of inspiring 3,000 acts of kindness on in order to raise $15,000 for SickKids Foundation in a single day!

So, before I go, just want to let you all know I promise to never forget the kindness you constantly show me, what you do for everyone else in the community and your charitable efforts that are changing the world. How’s that for compassion through technology?

Thanks to alicepopkorn for the use of this photo.

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!)

I am the last guy that should be writing a blog post. You wouldn’t believe the frustration that has come my way just trying to ink something simple and to the point. This is my first blog post and to be honest, I had to consult someone about how to do this. Does this mean I’m a blogger now?

So what is this blog post all about?

Recently, Daily Challenge contacted me and had all these really incredible things to say about my involvement in Pay It Backward Day. They even called me a hero! A hero. really? It is flattering to be sure, but the last time I checked, I can’t leap over tall buildings nor do I wear a cape or sport a utility belt.

I really didn’t understand the “hero” remark. I thought about it for a while and thought - “This ‘do gooding’ thing is pretty simple and effortless.” All I did was pick up the phone, share my ideas and made sure others got involved in the fun. You see, I am fortunate enough to work with really amazing people who love the PIB Day concept so much, it hardly needed a push to take off. When I explained the event and how I wanted my company to participate, there was an instant feeling of excitement and enthusiasm which got me even more revved up! So much so, that I went a bit well… crazy. Not like ‘Tom Cruise on Oprah’ crazy. Good crazy. Okay maybe crazy isn’t the right word… how about inspired. The enthusiasm ignited something - Inspiration!

That’s when it became a whirlwind. I had all these ideas I wanted to bring to the table. The challenge was to find a way to use my ideas in a way that would get people to participate. When the dust settled, something became very clear. I had a “reach” - one that had been in front of me all along. I had a way to send the Pay It Backward concept all the way from Vaughan Mills in Vaughan to as far as Devonshire Mall in Windsor! After hearing the story of the original Pay It Backward, I realized that it would be impossible to ignore the message and my ability to distribute it further.

This whole “hero” thing has everything to do with my actions, I’m told. The more I think about it, the more I see these actions being performed by the people around me. It’s never really been a single effort on my part. The company I work for is more than a real estate company. It is a group of people. Individuals who have genuine concern for their communities and who will take part to make them successful. Our participation is a really big part of who we are. We are probably a lot like you.

I wasn’t looking to ignite people, I just wanted to help. The other stuff just seemed to come together on it’s own.

Thanks to fiskfisk for the use of the Guitar Hero photo.

On Thursday, June 18, Julian Brass and the Notable team are organizing a massive gathering at Yonge and Dundas square in Toronto to support this year’s National Kids Cancer Ride. Taking advantage of New York Fries’ donation day – where $1 of every regular fries or meal sold will go directly towards the ride – supporters of the cause will purchase fries at either of New York Fries’ two Eaton Centre locations and gather at the square for a great altruistic networking event.  If you’re unavailable to make it to the meet-up the contributions are happening at New York Fries locations the city.

“We want to create the biggest fry meet-up the city has ever seen,” says Brass of the event. “This fun networking event will lead to hundreds of dollars going to support kids living with cancer, thanks to New York Fries’ donation day.”

The goal is to have over 600 people attend tomorrow’s event, so indulge in some fries tomorrow after work and invite all your friends!

The plan is as follows:

5-6pm: Jack Astors in Toronto Life Square is hosting a young professional happy hour which is sponsored by Corona; free Corona upon arrival!

6-6:15pm: Meet at Dundas Square and together as a massive group go to the Eaton center and get some New York Fries. There will be some Notable TV/ New York Fries ambassadors (wearing Gold and Brown referee-like uniforms) helping to direct everyone to 1 of 2 NY Fries locations.

6:30-7:30pm: Head back to Dundas Square to enjoy some delicious New York Fries, shmooze, network and of course … CELEBRATE!!!

RAIN PLAN: There are 2 New York Fries locations in the Eaton Center - one in each food court, at the Queen Street south end and at the Dundas St. north end. If it’s raining out, just meet at one of these two locations.

Please click here for more info and times.

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!

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.

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?”

Daily Challenge member, Jenny Foster, wrote us and expressed her enthusiasm for Pay It Backward Day;  and being a dedicated and forward-thinking Do Gooder, also voiced her concern about the possible environmental impact of the event. Thank you, Jenny!

So let’s hear everyone’s ideas in how we can make PIB Day a green event! Here are some of the more obvious options:

1. Bring a reusable cup.
2. If you don’t have a washable takeout mug, recycle.
3. Carpool with friends.
4. Take transit.

Please share how you plan to reduce your carbon footprint for the PIB Day event!