'Just pay it forward': Man buys nearly 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies through act of kindness

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A Pennsylvania man who bought nearly 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies through an act of kindness is urging others to pay it forward.

A picture on social media of a mystery Girl Scout cookie buyer has sparked a lot of curiosity. Many people were trying to find the man who bought over $300 worth of cookies at the Plymouth Meeting Mall.

"We're trying to find out who this mystery man is, he bought all the girls' cookies," said Karynn Jones, a Girl Scout mother, who helps her daughter's troop sell cookies at the Plymouth Meeting Mall.

The post has been shared by hundreds of people on social media, showing the man posing with some of the Girl Scouts, after he bought close to 100 boxes of Girl Scout cookies for Troop 7018, at the mall on Sunday.

Action News tracked him down outside the mall on Wednesday.

Marcel Dupree, 19, said he never did this for attention and never told anyone about the act of kindness.

Marcel said he first learned about the social media post from his family.

"I wanted to do this from the kindness of my heart," said Dupree.

When he found out the picture was going around social media, he decided to reveal himself and the message behind why he did it.

"I was feeling a bit down cause I was going through anxiety," said Dupree.

When one of the girls approached him to buy a box, he decided to buy all the boxes to do something nice and lift his anxiety.

"Literally everyone around the table was like, 'Oh my God,' like what did he just do," said Dupree.

Dupree said he didn't know how much all the boxes were going to cost.

"I thought it was going to be at least like, at the most $150, but like they said $353, I was like, 'Alright I need two cards,'" said Dupree.

Dupree said he only took one box home.

"I told them to give them out to random people who were walking through the mall," said Dupree.

"My anxiety, I feel like it's gone now," said Dupree, who added, "If anyone's watching this, just pay it forward."

A mother with Troop 7018 said the troop has a goal to match Dupree's donation through the Hometown Hero's project, and they are trying to see how many girls and troops will strive to match the goal.