Snowball of goodwill helps combat the heat

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Actions by members of the public caught on camera have warmed the hearts of millions of viewers recently in a video hot online, as random acts of kindness inspired a snowball of goodwill on the streets in Hangzhou City, east China’s Zhejiang Province.

A freezer that contained free drinks and treats was spotted on Wensan Road. However, it never seemed to go empty or out of stock, even though it was left unattended for several days.

A self-serving freezer with free cold drinks caught many people's eyes in Hangzhou City, E China's Zhejiang Province. /VCG Photo

The freezer appeared to offer a break from the heat for people who work outdoors where shelter or shade is hard to find. “Free self-serving treats for delivery personal, couriers, traffic police and sanitation workers”, shows a sign on the front.

As more people came across the free supplies, many refused to take what was inside after they came to notice the sign; and some even donated their own goods or left a note of appreciation to re-fill the freezer.

A boy whose father is a courier expressed his thanks for strangers' kindness in a note. /Screenshot via Weibo

In the video, it shows two young men coming up to the freezer. They took out and opened two bottles of water. Quickly after they noticed the sign, they searched their pockets for cash and left it in the freezer as payment for their drinks.

Two guys paid up for their drinks after they noticed the sign on the freezer. /Screenshot via Weibo

Later an old man walked passed the freezer and took out an apple from his grocery bag. On a second thought, he swapped a bigger one to put in the freezer.

The old man swapped a bigger apple to put in the freezer. /Screenshot via Weibo

A boy whose father is reportedly a courier also left something there, according to Shine.cn. It was found to be a note thanking those who kept passing on their act of kindness. “You made the summer even warmer," the boy wrote.

The freezer, a depot which is part of a program called “City Superman” implemented by Cai Niao, a logistic company under Alibaba, is available across 18 Chinese cities to date including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing, according to Shine. There're 445 freezers of its kind in China currently.

Such freezers can be seen in 18 other Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai. /Screenshot via Wechat