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Doing math helps people with a lot of daily life like counting change when you go to the local store to get snacks. But at one Bronx, New York deli and convenience store, customers can get their treats and more at absolutely no charge just for correctly answering a math problem.
That’s because at the end of January 2020, Ahmed Alwan a 20-year-old cashier at Lucky Candy decided to play a game with his shoppers and it has gone viral on social media according to CNN.
The rules of the game are very easy, if you can solve the problem, you get five seconds to grab anything from the store shelves (except the store cat) to keep for free. Many of the people who are participating are regular customers, but others are new faces. Everyone gets the same chance to win.
"All I wanted to do was to help people," Alwan told CNN. "But I wanted to make it fun. So I made a TikTok and chose a challenge, asking them a math question. It's a way to entertain and educate people in need while putting a smile on their face, too."
The math questions aren't that difficult, in the videos, Alwan can be heard asking, "what's 11 times 11 minus 10," or what's 5 times 10 divided by 2."
Anyone of the customers who gets the answer correct can be seen running around the store grabbing chips, candy, ice cream all the way up to tech gadgets according to CNN.
View this post on InstagramEarly Valentine special ???? she was so happy ??@worldstar @theellenshow
These videos on TikTok and Instagram are cute and heartwarming and what Alwin has done for the community outweighs the cost of the grabbed treats. Many people have already completed the challenge.
But who's paying for the stuff that is grabbed? Alwin is out of his own pocket. Saleh Aobad, the store's owner – and Alwan's father – said that he is really proud of his son.
"It's great to see him do good and help out the community, and most importantly represent Islam," Aobad, an immigrant from Yemen, said. "It's impacting the business in a positive way, bringing awareness and attention to the store as well as spreading positivity throughout the community."
Alwan has helped out at his family's store since he was only 14, so he knows the people in the community who are struggling and need financial help according to TODAY.
He is currently studying at Bronx community College to become a pharmacist and according to his family has always given to charity. He regularly gives customers food and household items on credit and hands out food and coffee to the homeless who sleep nearby.
"This changed our relationship with the community big time," Alwan told CNN "They're all showing me so much love and lining up at the store just for a chance to play. We have so many visitors coming to take pictures and say hi. But it's not about me. It's about the community."
For the future, Alwan has set up a GoFundMe to help support the game to keep it going and to give back to the community. As the game progresses, he is getting much more creative with his math questions. The goal, he wrote on the page, "is to inspire others to be kindhearted." After all, kindness is contagious.
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