This is a wonderful idea. If you can read through your tears after that video here's the press release from PawInspired:
SURF DOG RICOCHET BECOMES AN AMBASSADOR FOR "PAY IT FORWARD DAY",
AND INSPIRES PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TO PERFORM GOOD DEEDS, OR
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS FOR OTHERS
SAN DIEGO, CA, March 22, 2010… Surf dog Ricochet, the SURFice dog who surfs for fun, competition, and charitable causes, was named an ambassador for Pay It Forward Day, which will be held around the world on April 29, 2010. Ricochet is inspiring people around the globe to perform random acts of kindness on Pay It Forward Day. She'll also be coordinating localgood deedactivities for members of the San Diego community.
When the organizers of Pay It Forward Day heard about the life changing work Ricochet does through her Surfin' for Paws-abilities program, they thought she'd be the perfect candidate to fill the roll of Ambassador. Pay It Forward Day is a worldwide initiative based on the novel of the same name written by Catherine Ryan Hyde. The premise of story is about a 12 year old boy who did three good deeds for others in need. All he asked in return, was for them to pass on the good deed to three other people, and keep the cycle going.
So, on Pay It Forward Day, people will do one good deed for three others. When recipients ask how they can re-pay the favor, which can be big or small, they'll be instructed to pay it forward to three more people or animals. With each good deed, the cycle of generosity and kindness will ripple across the world,making us all better people.
Pay It Forward Day is about all people, from all walks of life, giving to someone else, and making a positive difference. There are over 15 countries involved, hundreds of schools are participating, and thousands of people will be paying it forward across the world. There is an exclusive Facebook page www.bit.ly/payitforwardday, set up for people to join in preparation for the event. Additional information can be found on the Pay It Forward Day website http://payitforwardday.com.
One of the activities Ricochet is working on for Pay It Forward Day is an surf session hosted by Happy Barrels Surf School, and their Adaptive Surfing Foundation. Owner, Robbie Nelson is Ricochet's surf coach, and she will be paying forward the acts of kindness she's receives from him. Patrick Ivison, the quadriplegic boy Ricochet raised over $10,000 for, and Ian McFarland, the six year old brain injured boy she raised over $6000 for, will be out there paying it forward with her.
An excellent example of how powerful paying it forward can be, is Ricochet's YouTube video "From Service dog to SURFice dog". Each person who watched it was inspired, and wanted to share the inspiration with someone else... so they paid the link forward to others. The cycle continued and the video went viral, touching millions of lives around the world. Ricochet has posted a new video, specifically about paying it forward, and is now inspiring people to get involved on Pay It Forward Day! To watch the new video, go to this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayn0d1yVOHw
It's not only people who can pay it forward... dogs and other animals can "paw" it forward too!
Note: For more information, or to get involved, contact Judy Fridono at 707-228-0679 or pawinspired@aol.com.
http://www.surfdogricochet.com. On Facebook & Twitter: "Surf Dog Ricochet"
http://payitforwardday.com
www.bit.ly/payitforwardday Pay It Forward Day on Facebook
http://www.happybarrelssurfschool.com/