When was the last time you heard of a movie spinning off into a real-life event? Usually, it’s the other way around. For one man, though, the message in the 2000 flick, “Pay it Forward” was too important to be confined only to the silver screen. He set out to make it a global reality.
In the movie, a young boy, troubled by his mother’s alcoholism and fears of his abusive but absent father, attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance. The boy’s social studies assignment led to social changes that spread from city-to-city.
After seeing the movie, Charley Johnson, vice president at SnugZ USA, Salt Lake City, couldn’t ignore what he felt inside. “I love the movie and from that point on I always had this feeling of wanting to change the world and help people out,” he noted.
About two months ago, while driving, Johnson began “thinking about it and I just couldn’t believe that such a powerful, yet simple movie didn’t spark ‘Pay it Forward’ movements up all over the country,” he said. “It kind of just died when everyone stopped talking about the movie six years ago. I decided then and there, I was going to bring it back and bring it back to stay for a very, very long time.”
And so, SnugZ’s “Pay it Forward” movement was born. According to Johnson, “Pay it Forward” works by simply doing a kind deed for someone else in return for a kind deed done to you. “[People] can get involved right this minute, this second, just make someone’s day or go out of your way to help a complete stranger,” he explained. “Help them out and when they say ‘thank you,’ instead of saying ‘you are welcome,’ just politely ask them to ‘Pay it Forward’ and help the next person.”
SnugZ offers “Pay it Forward” silicone bracelets for those interested in participating. “I don’t care if people don’t buy a damn bracelet from us and some other company makes millions. I just want ‘Pay it Forward’ to catch on,” said Johnson.
He hopes “Pay It Forward” catches on with other suppliers and distributors. “We have put “Pay it Forward” on all our paper proofs, our order acknowledgments, and our new booth carpet,” he said. “I know there are hundreds if not thousands of suppliers out there that can get or supply the silicone bracelets, so why not make up 1,000 or so and spread the word in their own cities?”
While there are no procedures in place to track the success of “Pay it Forward,” Johnson said, “The effectiveness will be tracked by if I see [someone wearing] a bracelet in my travels six months from now.”
“It’s so simple to make someone’s day, but we forget this time and time again. This world is filled with people who are only worried about themselves and I promise you, if you live for others and look out for others, you will enjoy life a lot better and others will look out for you,” he concluded.
For more information, call (888) 447-6840 or visit www.snugzusa.com.
