“Microsoft is thrilled to sponsor the first ever National GiveCamp,” says Mary Perisic, National GiveCamp Lead and a Microsoft employee. “The volunteers tell us this event is one of the most rewarding and fun challenges they take on all year."
Redmond (PRWEB) January 15, 2011
Fueled by coffee, soda and pizza, more than 1,000 volunteers at 14 locations around the United States will spend the weekend of Jan. 14-16, 2011, contributing their computer coding expertise to benefit charities that need custom software or a new website.
During the weekend-long National GiveCamp, teams of designers, developers and database administrators will donate their time to complete an IT project on a charity’s wish list. The approximately 120 participating charities would probably not have the financial or staffing means to complete these projects otherwise but they enable the charities to better reach the communities they serve.
The first ever national event will enable the organizers to assist more charities in one weekend than have been helped at all previous GiveCamps since Microsoft tech evangelist Chris Koenig created GiveCamp in 2007. Since then, GiveCamps have happened at various locations over different weekends. National GiveCamp is Microsoft’s way of helping the volunteer organizers with the event’s two biggest hurdles – location and sponsorships.
“Microsoft is thrilled to help out with the first ever National GiveCamp,” says Mary Perisic, National GiveCamp Lead and a Microsoft employee. “The volunteers tell us this event is one of the most rewarding and fun challenges they take on all year. The charities are excited to have their IT projects completed.”
Among the volunteers helping deliver projects at the Redmond event will be Edmonds resident Paul Kearney, who says he’s participating because of a passion for technology and a desire to give back to his community.
“I am also intrigued by the get-it-done-in-a-weekend challenge,” Kearney says. “I think it’s a great way to do something outside my day-to-day job, help out some local charities and have a bunch of fun.”
The 14 National GiveCamp locations are helping a wide variety of charities, including organizations that help the elderly, children, the homeless, animals, domestic abuse survivors and low-income people, among other communities in need. The event is occurring from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon.
Volunteers are helping the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County with two projects, says President/CEO Daniel Johnson. The first will revamp and greatly increase the capabilities of teenjobs.org, the organization’s YouthForce website for teen employment and training. The second project will involve extensive search engine optimization of the current Boys & Girls Clubs of King County website, allowing more kids and their families to connect with its services.
“A partner like GiveCamp really demonstrates how a group of volunteers can improve the lives of the kids in our community,” Johnson says. “We are so grateful.”
Microsoft has helped secured over 20 partnerships supporting the event include Domino’s (free pizza for volunteers); Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (free coffee); DevExpress (software); and Pluralsight (free training for volunteers).
The 14 U.S locations are: Austin, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; Birmingham, Alabama; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Dallas, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Houston, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Dallas, Pennsylvania; Fayetteville, Arkansas; New York City, New York; Malvern, Pennsylvania; Redmond, Washington; and Clayton, Missouri.
Visit http://bit.ly/h9eHtM and follow GiveCamp on http://twitter.com/GiveCamp for more information. Contact Tammy Batey at tammyb(at)piraeusdata(dot)com for additional quotes, to arrange interviews with volunteers or charity representatives, or to set up attending a portion of the event.
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