Pay It Forward On Tour In Australia And New Zealand

The tour of Australia took Catherine to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Newcastle, but through a great many radio, newspaper and magazine interviews, she was also able to deliver he message to listeners and readers in Perth, Grafton, Bathurst, Kingaroy, Mt. Gambier, Hobart, Sandgate, Canberra and Darwin. During her visit to Auckland, New Zealand, through radio, television and print, Catherine's messages reached throughout New Zealand.

Ms. Hyde was able to gain exposure on such national television programs as "A Current Affair," "Good Morning Australia" and the children's programs "Cheez TV" and "The Big Arvo."

All in all, the tour involved more than one dozen television appearances, twenty-five radio interviews and a number of print articles.

On the more human side, Catherine was able to meet with the director and young people of The Jetty Youth and The Fire House, two youth groups from the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. This meeting took place at the Samaritans Foundation in Newcastle. Catherine had been corresponding with the Youth Coordinator, Andrew Rowland, for close to a year as the youth groups took on various Pay It Forward projects such as free car washes and neighborhood "backyard blitzes." She had at one time sent a letter of encouragement to the young people, reminding them that they are the next generation and quite capable of effecting change. Of course, Catherine and Andrew and his young people felt as if they knew each other already, and were quite excited about sitting down in person. The kids gave Catherine a picture book of Australia, a calendar of the Central Coast where they live, and a canned (stuffed toy) Kookaburra. Most appreciated of all their gifts was a certificate of appreciation which states: "In recognition of your valuable contributions to making the world a better place for all of us. Thank you for your tremendous encouragement and inspiration to the Youth of Australia." Several of the young people also told Ms. Hyde, in their own words, how embracing the Pay It Forward concept had changed their attitude and experience.

Catherine was able to meet another "friend" in person, a teacher who prefers to be known only as "Anthony," due to his feelings about the importance of anonymity in giving. When Pay It Forward first came out in Australia, Anthony and his sons cleaned up communal parts of the neighborhood in secret. He then went on to buy fourteen copies of the book and equip them with bookplates that would enable them to be passed from one reader to the next in a chain. He also made up cards to be handed out to the recipient of a Pay It Forward favor, and sent an enormous box to the Pay It Forward Foundation at no cost. Many have been distributed in the U.S. Catherine and Anthony met in Melbourne, where they shook their heads and marveled at how widespread the idea has become since Anthony's first letter of Christmas Eve 2000, a letter which began, "Catherine,

"Catherine,
I am an Australian, a teacher by choice, and I have spent what feels like a lifetime trying to teach that you have taught me in your book in less that 300 pages."

Responses from Australia and New Zealand media are already beginning to come in. Catherine has written an opening statement for a women's conference in Melbourne, and sent Pay It Forward buttons and bumper stickers to individuals in New Zealand. She is also in touch with a woman who wants to bring the foundation message into schools in South Pacific regions such as Norfolk Island.