Worldwide Social Media Event Includes Fargo

On the evening of February 12, users of the online social media site Twitter will gather in cities around the world to meet the people behind the screen names, to have fun, and to raise money for charity.

The first-time event will take place in over 175 cities worldwide.  Locally, the gathering will be held at Ristreto, 4150 40th Avenue South in Fargo.  Tickets and other information for the event are available online at: http://Fargo.Twestival.com

Twitter is a social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users’ updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.  Founded by Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams, Twitter began as a research and development project inside San Francisco podcasting company Odeo in March 2006.

Several 2008 U.S. presidential campaigns used Twitter as a publicity mechanism, including that of Democratic Party nominee and President Barack Obama. The Nader/Gonzalez campaign updated their ballot access teams in real-time with Twitter and Google Maps. Twitter use increased 43% on Election Day.

Twestival Organizer Laura Klinkner said she saw an opportunity to help others. “I saw a tweet about the opportunity and thought it was time I did something for someone other than myself.  Since the Twestival is based on technology I figured I could handle it mostly electronically and that’s right up my alley. 

All proceeds—worldwide and locally—are being donated to charity: water.

charity: water is a non-profit initiative bringing clean water and basic sanitation into impoverished communities. They raise money to build freshwater wells and sanitation projects in developing nations, giving away 100% of the funds raised.

When asked what her hopes are for the first-ever Twestival, Klinkner added, “Initially it was to gather Twitter followers and maybe do a little good deed.  Now that I know more about charity: water, I really want to support the effort.”