ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: The Pittsburgh Samaritan

 Since too much of the news these days is negative, we decided to start spreading good news. If you have positive news, let us know.

A Pittsburgh man traveled to Chicago, for no other reason than for the opportunity to do good deeds for strangers. His hope: that they would pay it forward and do the same for others. While remaining anonymous, he documented his 1,175-mile round trip with a 10-minute video now posted on YouTube in hopes of inspiring others.

He asked strangers on the Craigslist Web site saying over the weekend of April 3-5 he wanted to “help a few people that need help…All I ask is that you Pay It Forward.”

From more then 150 responses, he picked five good deeds from people he thought legitimately needed his help. In the end, he bought a car battery for an unemployed man, gave another man a ride to pick up a truck 35 miles away, helped dismantle a swing set, lugged construction materials from a demolished bathroom, and donated clothing to a homeless agency.

The 29-year-old Good Samaritan has said that it was the best weekend of his life, and he’s so proud that he went through with what he conceded seemed like a crazy idea at the start.