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by RedAlert from newsroom

Last Post 9 days, 11 hours Ago


This will make you all warm and fuzzy inside...

 In the true spirit of Holiday giving...coffee drinkers bought java for OTHER people in the Drive Thru line of a Starbucks for 3-hours.  142 people did this...It's a campaign by the company to "Pass the Stabucks, pass the cheer"  Luvs it!!

But I want to know this...who's the Scrooge who stopped the string of kindness???

Share your story of Holiday Kindness on this Blog!!!

HERE'S THE ARTICLE:

Call it the spirit of the season. For more than three hours Tuesday, drive-through customers at the Starbucks on Bloomington’s east side didn’t pay for the coffee they ordered.

Rather, as each customer reached the drive-through window, he or she was told the order had been paid by the driver who had just pulled away.

By the time it was over, about 142 people had spread the Christmas spirit.

It all started about 9:20 a.m. when an anonymous woman told the drive-through worker at the restaurant at Veterans Parkway and Washington Street that she wanted to pay for the person behind her in line, said employee Erik Zambrano.

“She just wanted to wish the next person a merry Christmas,” Zambrano said.

Initially, the Pantagraph heard the spirit of giving was going on at the nearby Krispy Kreme doughnut business. But a check showed it wasn’t going on there.

But a later inquiry at Starbucks proved the Christmas spirit was alive and well. In fact, said Zambrano, people kept paying for the orders of the motorists in front of them until 12:57 p.m.

“I explained the person in front of them had paid for their order. Customers would offer to pay for the order behind them,” Zambrano said. “Typically, they were ecstatic the person had paid for their order.”

Customers really wanted to keep the chain going, said Zambrano, adding, “It has happened before. Someone would pay for a drink, but not that many. (Tuesday) it just went on and on and on.”

Occasionally, the store saw some breaks in business, but the random acts of kindness didn’t end just because the line was empty: A few drivers donated about $5 toward the next person’s order if no one else was waiting, Zambrano said.

A typical order was $3 to $5, he said, though an occasional person had a large order.

“Sometimes, they would pay part of those large orders,” Zambrano said. “Then (the person who placed the order) would pay the rest, but that didn’t happen too often.”

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becker read my blog
Dec 11, 2007 | 7:05 AM

My best Christmas gift was from my son Ron. A little tiny slot machine that worked, that he bought for a dollar, wrapped as big as a football. I have it out year round, and if I ever need to feel better, I just have to look at that gift. It is now 35 years old.

michelle4wellness read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 7:36 AM

That is the BEST story Randi!! Wow, you are coming up with some great blogs, girl!

Speedy62269 read my blog
Dec 11, 2007 | 7:42 AM

Great blog and definitely the Christmas spirit. I guess I am lazy. I just go to the Starbucks at Harts in O'Fallon and buy gift cards for my clients. This time of year my clients are licking their chops for Starbucks and especially the White House ornaments.

I believe someone awhile back mentioned doing something good for someone - let's pay it forward again.

mr_wildflower read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 7:47 AM

Someone buys me a cup of coffee then I say they have made a friend..... It is not the gift but the thought that makes it special....

michelle4wellness read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 7:51 AM

T...I will buy you your coffee this morning!

Hey Speedy...! Why don't you meet T, Kurkel, Wacky and I at Westport BreadCo. this morning at 10?

maboco
Dec 11, 2007 | 8:05 AM

Saturday, December 08, 2007
WWJD Christmas2007
Current mood: adored
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

The Real Deal
Christmas this year will be the very BEST !
It seems that in the years followiing the birth of Jesus Christ,. Dec 25,
2007 years ago, that a lot has changed from year to year,. yet how much has really changed. "no room at the Inn " ?
How many people have you turned your back on by not looking to see who they were ?
This year I am going to find someone and "PAY IT FORWARD"
One act of Kindness to a lonely one is a gift for Jesus
I thank God with acts of Thankgiving , not sacifice,
I promise to"Do unto Others as I would have them ,Do unto me."
Sometimes we do not take the time to see,
Ths year, I ask you to commit to WWJD A life time of doing What Would Jesus Do ? because . We are LEFT BEHIND for LOVE



6:55 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

Mary (W O W 47)


Pay It Forward or Pay It Backwards

Channel 2 News / St louis Mo

Posted by Mary (W O W 47) on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at 7:33 AM
[Remove] [Reply to this]

ladytbonesteak read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 8:26 AM

What a great way to say Happy Holidays to a stranger! I think this was a great idea and story...Thanks Randi!

msmanru12 read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 8:48 AM

at $5 a cup, bah humbug

opinionatedlady read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 9:40 AM

I wish someone would have done that for us at Target last night!!! that is really nice seriously.

jeanette read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 6:40 PM

I love stories like this. People can still be kind.Saturday a woman was 2 dollar short on her chritmas gifts she was buying.So I handed her the two dollars. She said I will pay you back give me your address. I said no the look of appreication and excitement I seen in you I am payed back already. She was really digging in that purse to try and find 2 dollars and just couldn't come up with it.She was almost in tears as she didn't want to put anything back. It was a great feeling for me also.

kurkel read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 8:11 PM

Michelle....how is your daughter?

Randi ...nice story! Thanks for reminding all of us that there are still alot of nice people out there!

LadyCardFan read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 9:47 PM

Great blog Randi . . .

I was shopping for the center's holiday party Monday morning and had noticed that Walgreens had some really great sales. When I arrived and found the first item I found that it was on the top shelf. Not too cool when you're just over 5'. I walked to the end of the aisle and saw two employees and asked if I could get some assistance. One of the employees came over and asked if he could help me. I explained that I needed to get 25 boxes of the chocolate covered cherries. He kindly asked milk chocolate or dark (we did half and half). He then asked if there was anything else he could help me with. Before I knew it the two of us were going through the store shopping together, he pulling items from the shelves and loading them into my cart. When the cart filled, he took it to a closed checkout lane and brought back another. When he couldn't find an item I wanted, he called on another associate. Oh, no jingle bells for our game. We decided that the little ornaments would look very nice on everyone for our "Grinch" game, was probably cheaper in the long run too.

Soon, I was almost done, just needed to get some bags and gift cards, which would take a bit of time on my own, so he left me to go help someone else, telling me to find him when I was ready to check out. Looking around I didn't see him, but the associate at the front of the store called him and as though like magic he appeared to check me out.

The next while he spent scanning, bagging, and carefully placing my purchases in the cart (then eventually on the ground (popcorn tins

LadyCardFan read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 9:48 PM

can take up a lot of room). Once finished he came around with a 2nd cart and loaded it, then said, "Here, let me help you out to your car".

I have to say, this young man made my day with his kindness and helpful ways that I've not experienced in many, many years.

If you need to shop a Walgreens, may I suggest that you visit the Twin Oaks one. I can't remember the young mans name, but next time I see him I need to definately thank him again . . .

buckybird read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 10:19 PM

Great blog.

lsmlp read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 10:48 PM

My brothers went out to a local Pizza Hut about a year ago. They went to pay and found out someone had already paid it. They saw the man as he was walking across the parking lot. Just a nice stranger. So they picked another family and paid for theirs. Wouldn't the world be a much nicer place if more people did this?

kurkel read my blog view my photos
Dec 11, 2007 | 11:05 PM

yes it would...and what fun too. We have some friends who like to do that. We will be out and they will just pick up someones tab...anonymously. It is fun to watch their faces when they find out their bill has been pd for!

FIGMAN read my blog view my photos
Dec 12, 2007 | 12:34 AM

Many times I have picked up the tab for a meal for clients who I run into in an restaurant. I never tell them that I am doing it. It feels good to give and I know everyone is very surprised when they try to pay.

jana read my blog view my photos
Dec 12, 2007 | 12:51 AM

Great Blog Randi! Great Idea!

michelle4wellness read my blog view my photos
Dec 12, 2007 | 1:57 PM

Went to Starbucks just this morning and asked a couple of the employees there if that had happened at their store. (This was the Fenton Starbucks at 141/44). One guy said that someone does that every now and then and sometimes it gets going pretty good.

By the way, they should have free wifi at Starbucks in the next couple years. They signed a 10 year contract with T-Mobile several years back and that's why you can only use the wifi service if you're a T-Mobile customer. But that should change soon...yeah!! I frequent Bread Co. all the time because of the wifi service, and it will be nice to have more options...

LindaSTL view my photos
Dec 13, 2007 | 2:17 AM

Very nice story Randi! It is nice to hear about random acts of kindness. A little gesture can go a long way, and make people really feel good inside.

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RedAlert

Hi, Randi Naughton here...I call myself "Red Alert" I co-anchor the news on the morning show....good thing because I'm a morning person. Would love to hear from you. Talk to me!

Member Since: 9/14/2006