ELMONT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — There are all sorts of internet challenges, the cinnamon challenge, the lip challenge, and plenty of even stranger ones.

Now, a Long Island man is trying to spread the birthday challenge.

“I was turning 22 and I’m just like, every birthday I’ve done I haven’t done anything really important,” Daniel Alexis told CBS2’s Carolyn Gusoff.

Alexis turned 22 last week and turned to his friends, all graduates of Elmont High School, to make his birthday different by making a difference.

“Every year we come together and wanna go to the club, but he actually told me he wants to give back,” Terry Thermogene said.

On Alexis’ birthday he challenged friends to give away gifts to homeless people. They donated their own gently used clothing and pooled money.

Shanel Charles documented the challenge on video.

“It was actually amazing to watch boys that I graduated with give back and was best the expressions on people’s faces. It was pure gratitude,” Charles said.

There were laughs and smiles, and words of encouragement. Now, Alexis and his friends hope to redefine what birthdays are about.

“It’s great to party and we’ve all done that and we are not all saints but it’s really important to give back,” he said.

The group hopes their positive birthday message can go viral.