International non-profit organization to benefit from Elvis Extravaganza at Mall of America

World Computer Exchange will be the beneficiary of donations taken for seating at the Elvis Impersonator contest in the main Rotunda of the Mall of America in Bloomingon, Minnesota on March 13, 2004

(PRWEB) February 10, 2004 --Take a seat on March 13 and enjoy the show on the Sam Goody Stage where there will be Elvis Impersonators galore vying for the crown at the Elvis Extravaganza Impersonator Contest. Proceeds from a small seating charge and donations in the fan convention room will help World Computer Exchange to deliver more used working Pentium computers to connect schools to the Internet in third world countries. World Computer Exchange is a world- wide educational charity helping schools and universities in poor countries to bring their students into the digital world.

With the help of corporate and private donors of used PCs and funding for testing, storage and shipping, a container of 430 Pentiums and/or Power Macs will connect 20 schools with 10,000 students to the Internet. The schools are recruited, trained, and prepared for the receipt of the equipment by local partner non-profits. World Computer Exchange works to bring together Education organizations, government representatives students and volunteers from the around the world with recipients. The funds raised at the contest will form a matching grant for a WCE shipment to a university partner and neighboring schools that are a part of the Africa Universities Initiative. Funds will also help cover needed sourcing and administrative costs in Minneapolis where more and more donations are straining the resources and storage space of the current team.

World Computer Exchange:

· Connecting 970 schools with 347,750 students by 33 shipments of 9,259 computers valued at US$2,633,300 to 18 countries: Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia, Cameroon, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Lithuania, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Vietnam.
· Leveraging support for our 180 local partners in 45 countries via 55 Program Officers, 20 global strategic allies, and teams of online support volunteers in: technology, content, and tele-center management
· Working with the World Economic Forum, USAID, UNDP, UNESCO & Peace Corps Volunteers in several countries
· Developing environmentally appropriate disposal of dead computers and monitors
· Building ICT in education capacity in universities in developing countries (beginning with Bolivia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Georgia and ten in Africa) to provide practical help to 30 local schools each in computer and network maintenance, teacher training, local content development, business support for telecenters in schools, and environmentally appropriate dismantling. This project was developed with World Economic Forum.
· Helping through WCE offices in Boston, Burlington/Vermont, Geneva, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Minneapolis, New Haven, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington/Baltimore, and affiliates in Stockholm and Stuttgart.
· Gathering computers in: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Brussels, Calgary, Copenhagen, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Genova, Helsinki, Houston, Los Angeles, Madison, New York, Oak Island NC, Oklahoma City, Oslo, Portland, Syracuse, Tucson, Tulsa, and Vancouver

The Elvis Extravaganza contest is just part of the fun at the Mall on March 13. There will also be a fan convention in the Great Lakes Ballroom offering free ice cream from Kemps and a display of Elviss snowmobiles! After the contest ends at 5:00pm, the top five winners will prepare to show their stuff , backed up by Elviss own touring group, The Stamps Quartet, and by D.J. Fontana, original drummer for Elvis and nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The concert will start at 7:00 pm and will also feature local Elvis Tribute Artist Todd Anderson and 6 year old Spencer Anderson singing Blue Suede Shoes.

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