Pay-It-Forward Chain at Minnesota Dairy Queen Lasts 900 Cars, Multiple Days

Right now, the world can seem like a pretty cruel place. Far too many people are going hungry and struggling to make ends meet, small businesses don't know how much longer they'll have before shutting down, and there's not much clarity on what kind of help is on the way— or if it'll even show up at all.

Despite all the gloom, there is still a lot of goodness out there in the world. And sometimes, it takes one simple act of paying it forward to really get the ball rolling.

That was at least the case at a Brainerd, Minnesota, Dairy Queen recently. On Thursday, December 3, one drive-thru customer decided they'd pay for the meal of the person behind them. According to CNN, the outpouring of generosity went on for quite some time. More than 900(!) cars in a row took turns paying for the person behind them, with the giving stretching from Thursday all the way into Saturday.

DQ manager Tina Jensen said people paid for more than $10,000 worth of food for the strangers waiting behind them at the drive-thru. The last customers of the night on Thursday and Friday even left some money to start things back up the following day, a sign that they really took Fleetwood Mac's message of never breaking the chain to heart.

For forward-payer Heidi Bruse, being a part of the chain offered much more than food. "During times like these it kinda restores your faith in humanity a little," she told CNN. "The way the world is now you see a lot of anger, tension, and selfish behavior. What we witnessed was pure kindness and it was a breath of fresh air really."

It's not shocking that a state known for the politeness of its people was the site of so much generosity, but hopefully, that spirit of giving can make its way to other parts of the country as well. With the holiday season upon us and an incredibly tough year coming to a close, there's more than enough of a reason to spread some generosity—and Dairy Queen—around.