LI native aiming to break records in Starbucks--and in kindness

ByKizzy Cox WABC logo
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Robert Nilsen facebook kindness campaign
(Robert Nilsen)
WABC-WABC

SAYVILLE (WABC) -- If you think that mocha-choca-frappuccino-venti-thingamajig drink you bought at Starbucks was expensive, you should take a look at the drink Robert Nilsen bought in Sayville, NY this morning, which came in at a whopping $61.16!

pricey drink

The highly-caffeinated Long Island native was aiming to break the record for the most expensive drink ever bought at Starbucks (which he dubbed the "All Nighter"). Luckily for the patrons inside, he was willing to spread his wealth and treat everyone there to a beverage too. Later, he treated more patrons at a West Babylon Starbucks.

starbucks receipt

It's all part of Nilsen's "The Kindness Campaign" which he started on Facebook in April of last year. The president of Exclusive Attorney Media started by choosing friends at random and then sending them expensive gifts with a card by mail.

The recipient is supposed to take a picture of the gift post it on Facebook and then pay it forward by choosing one of their friends to show kindness to by giving them a gift or helping them out in some way.

So far Nilsen has been making an impact: he gifted a Michael Kors handbag to WBLI DJ Astra, donated 500 new books to the Children's Literacy Center of Colorado Springs to help those affected by the recent floods and wildfires and made donations to Long Island schools in need of books.

DJ Astra, host on 106.1 BLI on Long Island commended his initiative saying "You never know what someone may be going through, or if they may have had a bad day or may just be feeling down in the dumps, but extending yourself in a kind manner toward a complete stranger can turn their whole world around...If everyone would do something kind to complete strangers, this world would be a happier, and friendlier place."

As for those patrons in Starbucks, Nilsen's kind act almost certainly added a positive jolt to their day as well.