The Pay It Forward Challenge

Six friends from Washington had no shortage of ideas for their Pay It Forward Challenge windfall. With $6,000, they knew they could do a lot of good—in fact, "All kinds of good." This phrase, which Crista Ditzler uses to sign off with friends Ally, Danya, Diane, Heija and Kristin, set the tone for their challenge…and the women set out to do, "All kinds of good."

They pooled $3,000 to buy 200 Target and Starbucks gift cards, leaving each with $500 for a project representing a personal passion. Gift cards went to cheerful strangers with instructions to enjoy it or "pay it forward" to someone else. Starbucks pitched in another 100 gift cards.

Handing out 300 gift cards is no small chore, so they got creative. Wearing T-shirts with the slogan "All Kinds of Good" on the front and "What KIND are you?" on the back, they fanned out at Seattle's Pike Place Market, handing out gift cards with notes urging recipients to do some good.

At one of the market's stalls, they gathered a rowdy crowd for a local tradition—fish-throwing—and for every chilled fish tossed and caught mid-air, they gave out gift cards!