If you were strolling around Antigonish, N.S., on Saturday, you may have noticed bright pink envelopes scattered around town with stickers saying, “OPEN ME.” If you looked inside, you would have found a $5, $10 or $20 bill as well as note inviting you to pay it forward.

A total of $1,000 was distributed across the town, all thanks to a group called the Awesome Foundation of Antigonish.

“We're actually giving away $1,000 in cash to help inspire people to go and pay it forward,” James Smeaton, “dean” of the Awesome Foundation of Antigonish, told CTV Atlantic. The goal, he said, is to “do something nice for people in the universe and hopefully just be inspired by how much effect that a small act of generosity can have.”

In most cases, the envelopes seemed to disappear almost as quickly as they were put up.

“It's a pretty great thing to do,” Colin MacGillivray said, after finding an envelope. “I'll have to do something nice for somebody else now … I'm going to probably go through the drive thru and buy somebody a coffee.”

Barb Morton was very enthused with her find.

“I think it's great -- I love pass it forward!” Morton said. “So I'll find somebody that can use five dollars, or get them a Timmies card and let them enjoy it.”

Whitney MacIsaac had a sweet idea.

“I think I might go buy some flowers for my mom, since she's done so much for me,” she said.

Mary Landry decided to spread kindness by just leaving the envelope she found for someone else.

“I'm working,” she said. “Maybe they'll treat somebody somewhere else.”

Jeff Hunt told CTV Atlantic that he will give the money he found to the Canadian Association for Community Living.

“We're doing a project for them right now,” Hunt said. “We're painting it forward today, painting a bunch of chairs for them at no charge.”

For members of the Awesome Foundation, leaving the cash-filled envelopes for others is its own reward.

“This is really fun,” Charlotte Gallant said. “Everybody likes finding a treat. It's kind of like being the tooth fairy or one of Santa's elves.”

With a report from CTV Atlantic’s Dan MacIntosh