twestival local - Tweet.Meet.Give. - March 24, 2011

Austin Twestival has now come and gone, and we have a lot of people to thank for making it the great event that it was.

We’ve got to start by saying thanks to Molotov Lounge for being accommodating hosts and giving us such a fantastic place to party. From offering exclusive drink specials for Austin Twestival attendees to helping us display event signage generously provided by Barringer Document Services, Molotov was amazing.

And it wouldn’t have been a party without food, entertainment and sweet give-aways.  Courtesy of Cannoli Joe’s, Austin Twestival attendees enjoyed polenta stuffed with pesto, sundried tomatoes and cheese, as well as other delicious appetizers, while enjoying the sweet beats of DJ Andrei Matei. Also, while all attendees were treated to coupon cards to Berry Austin, two lucky ladies came away with family four-packs to the Austin Toros game on April 2, which we raffled off at 8:30 p.m.

With two photographers and one videographer at the event, it’s quite likely that you were caught on camera at some point (and, yes, this is a good thing). Chris Brock of Brock Design Studios was our roving photographer, while Lori Luza of As You Wish Photography ran the photo booth and Ruben Cantu of Core Media Enterprises captured event footage and interviews for video production. Look for photos and video to be shared online soon!

Last but not least, thanks to GoToMeeting and ALL of you who provided financial support to Meals on Wheels and More (MOWAM) through ticket purchases and donations. With your help we raised $1,075, which equates to more than 400 meals for MOWAM clients! Best of all, we had fun doing it.

For those who would still like to make a donation to MOWAM, please know that our donation site should remain open till March 31st.

Thanks again for supporting Austin Twestival. Every contribution you made, every dollar you gave and every message you sent out on Facebook and Twitter helped MOWAM in a special way. Hats off to you.
 

While there certainly is no good reason you shouldn’t buy a ticket to Austin Twestival, we’ve listed the top five reasons you should:

1.    All proceeds go to Meals on Wheels and More (MOWAM).  
Did you know one $10-ticket buys four meals for MOWAM clients? In addition to funding their food delivery program, the money raised by Austin Twestival 2011 will help fund 12 other programs that MOWAM offers, such as home repair, veterinary services and transportation to medical appointments for the elderly, disabled and homebound in the Austin area.  

2.    By attending Austin Twestival, you could win a sweet prize yourself.
Austin Twestival attendees are invited to share their pictures and experiences of the event for a chance to win one of our two contests.  If you don’t show up, how can you play?

3.    Avoid the post-SXSW blues.
Now that SXSW has come to a close, you might already be missing the great people and fun events held in Downtown Austin. Well, problem solved. We’ve got your party (and for a good cause, too!) right here.

4.    It will be fun.
Speaking of party… it could go without saying that it will be fun.  We’ll have two photographers, a DJ, and, of course, lots of Austinites you know and love. Need we say more?

5.    One word: KARMA
When you help us help MOWAM help the elderly, disabled and homebound, you get nothing but good karma in return. We rest our case.

It’s true that all ticket sales and donations to Austin Twestival 2011 go directly to Meals on Wheels and More (MOWAM). And that is awesome. But there’s a chance you could come away from Austin Twestival with a sweet prize yourself. Yep, one of our fabulous prizes is yours if you place 1st or 2nd in one of the contests below:

BEST PHOTO CONTEST

Though we’ll have two photographers at Austin Twestival, don’t forget to snap pictures of your own! Then, simply e-mail your photos to stock74ran@photos.flickr.com to upload them directly to our Austin Twestival Flickr account. While there is no minimum or maximum number of photos you should upload, your photos must be tagged “Best Photo Contest”, your twitter handle, and be submitted by April 1, 2011 to qualify. The Austin Twestival volunteer team will choose the top two posts and announce the 1st- and 2nd-place winners on Friday, April 8, 2011.


1st Place Prize: A full service hair cut from an upscale salon
2nd Place Prize: A $25 Go Local gift card to GroupOn

BEST BLOG POST CONTEST

Write a blog post inspired by, summarizing or promoting the value of Austin Twestival. While there is no minimum or maximum word requirement, your entry must mention this year’s event and charity and be submitted by April 1, 2011 to qualify. Creativity is encouraged!

Just post a link to your blog post in this Austin Twestival blog comments stating “Best Blog Post Contest,” and encourage your friends to read and “like” it. The posts that receive the most number of “likes” will be considered as finalists. Our Austin Twestival volunteer team will then vote on the top two posts and announce the 1st- and 2nd-place winners on Friday, April 8, 2011.

1st Place Prize: A Brazilian Keratin Hair Treatment
2nd Place Prize: A $100 Go Local gift card to Fry’s

We’ll see you all at Molotov this Thursday for Austin Twestival! Bring your camera, and get those creative juices going…we’re can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Did you know?

Twestival is a lot more than "Just Twitter" and it's not “Just an Austin thing,” either. Twestival is a movement that harnesses the power of social media to bring together communities around the world on the same day to support causes such as clean water and education; these events have raised approximately $1.2 million for such causes since 2009.

This year, Twestival Local will bring Austinites together to support and boost awareness of a charity within our Central Texas community: Meals on Wheels and More (MOWAM). What's great about this charity is that they serve the elderly, disabled and homebound with 13 valuable programs that range from meal and grocery delivery to home repair to veterinary assistance.

No matter which type of service you feel our elderly, disabled and homebound need most, MOWAM has the bases covered. But, of course, they rely on financial and volunteer assistance to get the job done. While attending Austin Twestival on March 24 is a great way to show your support for this spectacular charity, becoming an event sponsor takes your support to the next level in a very important way.

Because traditional event expenditures are addressed by in-kind donations, 100 percent of Austin Twestival ticket sales and sponsorships go directly to the charity of the year. This means that when you sponsor Austin Twestival 2011, you directly give to MOWAM while benefitting from the recognition that all of our corporate sponsors and partners receive.

Please take a moment to learn more about our sponsorship program and consider becoming an Austin Twestival sponsor or partner this year. On behalf of the nearly 2,500 people served by MOWAM in the Austin area, we thank you.

Becoming a sponsor is easy, just reach out to our lead organizer Wesley Faulkner on Twitter or Facebook.

You can also just send us a message on the main Austin Twestival account.

At last! The news you’ve all been waiting for….
We’re thrilled to announce that Austin Twestival will be supporting the incredible local charity Meals on Wheels and More (MOWAM) with our 2011 event on March 24. In addition to delivering hot, nutritious meals to the elderly, disabled or homebound, MOWAM:

•    delivers groceries to clients twice a month,
•    makes “care calls” via phone to homebound clients,
•    provides transportation for clients to medical appointments,
•    offers free vet services and food to pets of homebound clients,
•    helps clients with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia ,
•    provides home repairs that are related to the health and safety of clients, and more!

MOWAM is a 501(c)(3) multi-service organization that relies on the help of approximately 5,000 volunteers to serve nearly 3,400 clients every day. And this year, MOWAM will benefit from the funds raised by you and your fellow Austinites through Austin Twestival.

 We’re pleased to say that 100 percent of ticket sales and donations will go directly to MOWAM, where it will be put to great use supporting the elderly, disabled and homebound in the Austin area.

Our ticket sales page will launch soon. In the meantime, help us spread the word about Austin Twestival 2011! We look forward to supporting MOWAM…and having a great time while we’re at it.