Restaurant.com CEO Cary Chessick Gives Away $20,000 to 40 People in Social Giving Celebration

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., June 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Restaurant.com CEO Cary Chessick gave away $20,000 in cash to 40 random attendees at a social media conference. Chessick's celebration, called TweetItForward, was unveiled during Internet Week New York at the inaugural Likeable U: The Social Media Movement, attended by thought leaders and industry experts. He shared his experiences about the value in the gift of giving before each randomly chosen guest was presented with $500.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110614/CG19247-a)

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110614/CG19247-b)  

The concept of "pay it forward" is rooted in the idea of helping others without expectation of anything in return, and Chessick's celebration is the social media version. He and his wife donated personal money for the giving effort.

"I've been fortunate to experience the gift of giving," said Chessick. "It's my belief that a simple act of giving can change a life, alter a person's path and create new social connections. It can bring together friends and family in a way that is unique, and ultimately increase happiness in both the giver and the gift recipient."

Chessick passed out envelopes to 40 unsuspecting attendees at the conference. The envelopes contained one $100 bill, four $50 bills, five $20 bills and ten $10 bills for a total of $500 per attendee.

Chessick's surprise $20,000 gift to 40 people was without any ground rules or restrictions. His message to the conference attendees dealt only with achieving happiness and impacting the lives of others in a positive way. The fortunate 40 were thrilled with the unexpected gift and all the possibilities.

"I was just shell-shocked. I was holding the envelope and then I put it down on my desk at home," said Neil Glassman, a marketing strategist. "I don't know if I should operate impulsively or just give it some thought for a few days about how I want to pass that goodness along."

"I thought it was just incredible that this guy who doesn't know who I am is willing to trust me and give me $500," said Michele Weisman, a marketing operations manager. "I'm going to take this money and do great things with it."

"My first reaction is just to pay off my student loan since I've only been out of college for a year, but that makes me feel very guilty," said Dan Chizzoniti, a social media expert.

The announcement ignited social media chatter as recipients began sharing stories of giving and gratitude on social media networks using text, images and video. They tweeted with the hashtag #tweetitforward on Twitter, visited www.tweetitforward.org to post messages, and joined the Facebook group Tweet It Forward to share and connect with others celebrating the gift of giving.

"My heart was beating, and then I tweeted immediately," said Margaux Zion, a student majoring in Interactive Marketing who was a gift recipient. "I went directly to the hashtag TweetItForward. It was a great feeling."

"He wants to show us that we need to wake up and be grateful," said Kristen Colapinto, owner of a social media company. "So wake up and thank someone every day."

"I saw someone tweeted about a Tweet It Forward giving movement," added Chessick. "If that's what comes of this–great. One thank you at a time, one gift at a time, one celebration at a time."

TweetItForward is a cousin of Chessick's brainchild, Feed It Forward, the online giving initiative that allows consumers to give free Restaurant.com gift certificates between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since 2008, the Restaurant.com community has given away $32 million in gift certificates to family, friends and strangers through random acts of kindness.

About Restaurant.com

Restaurant.com is helping deepen relationships and creating lasting memories one dining experience at a time. The company offers savings at more than 18,000 restaurants nationwide with more than 45,000 daily gift certificate options. Restaurant.com brings people together to relax, converse and enjoy outstanding meals at affordable prices. Restaurant.com customers have saved more than $500 million through the gift certificate program. Restaurant.com has operated since 1999 and is based in Arlington Heights, Ill.

SOURCE Restaurant.com