Just a really quick note to say a HUGE THANKS to everyone who came out, donated prizes and money. We're happy to announce our total:

$12,321!

(note: Brian Alkerton kindly donated a dollar at the last minute so we could have a cool memorable figure to brag about. THANKS!)

Twestival is only 9 days away!

The members of the organizing committee have been working feverishly since January to create an event that will inspire and delight you-not to mention raise lots of cash for our charity, The Royal Foundation for Mental Health.

There will be plenty of time to mix and mingle with fellow tweeps and check out the following:

• A Photo Station: you’ll be looking your best so why not have a photo taken that you’ll be able to use as your Twitter avatar? Twestival Ottawa’s official photographers, Cherie-Lynn Buchanan and Anna Epp, will charge a nominal fee for their service and donate every penny to The Royal.
• DIFD: The “Do It For Daron” team will be on site selling their pins and purple bracelets. Proceeds will be donated to the Daron Foundation.
• A Twitter Demo Station: Brian Alkerton will give pointers for those who want to learn more about Twitter.

We’ve also been working hard to find donations for the silent and live auctions which will  take place during Twestival Ottawa...

You will be able to bid on silent auction items such as:

• A $100 gift certificate to Le Saint-Ô Restaurant (@lesainto).
• A voucher for tickets to a show at the National Arts Centre (@canadasnac).
• A Twitter necklace from Blend Creations (@blendcreations).
• TWO 1-year domain registration, Wordpress installation and hosting packages from Digital Eh! IT and Hosting (@agoldenberg).
• A gift certificate to Play Food and Wine (@Playfoodandwine). 
• And more...

Our  live auction will be hosted by none other than Stuntman Stu (@stuntmanstu). You will be able to bid on:

• A Chef-at-home experience for 6 with chef Jason Laurin (@chefjayl) of Essence Catering.
• A 2-night stay at the Ottawa Marriott (@ottawamarriott) including 2 breakfasts AND a table d’hôte supper at Spin Kitchen and Bar (@spinkitchenbar). 
• A signed player jersey and two 100-level tickets to the April 5th game between the Ottawa Senators (@NHL_Sens) and Philadelphia Flyers.
• A gift basket containing hair care products and a gift certificate from Texture Salon (@TextureTwits).
• A $350 gift card from Brasserie Métropolitain.
• A Locavore Gift Basket prepared by the writers of Ottawa’s favourite food blog: Foodie Prints (@FoodiePrints). The basket includes generous donations of to-die-for jams by @michaelsdolce, a sampler pack of @sirenbakery’s famous granolas, delectable chocolates by @kokochocolates and other items too. Check Jenn and Don’s post about their adventures putting the basket together for the latest additions. 
• And more...

There will even be cupcakes from Twestival Ottawa’s official cupcake bakers Little Cakes, because any time is a good time for cupcakes! (@_LittleCakes)

We’re profoundly grateful to the many people who have stepped up to the plate to help us raise funds for The Royal Foundation for Mental Health and challenge all local businesses, especially those who are benefitting from their presence on Twitter, to contribute as well. We’re still looking for donations but especially for sponsors. Please feel free to contact any of the members of the organizing committee for more information about our sponsorship packages.

It promises to be a great evening in support of a truly deserving cause. We hope you’ll join us!

  I was thinking about this earlier today.

I’ve said some pretty tasteless things on the site. To provide just one example:

• Watching this girl playing Foosball, I wonder if implants come with a pamphlet titled: How To Incorporate More Jumping Into Your Life.

You can read whatever you like into the fact that the stuff I feel most awkward/bad about almost all pertains to my dealings with the opposite sex, but the long and short of it is this: I’ve done some pretty awful and unprofessional things online. They haven’t been friend-protected, and they have bitten me in the ass more than once.

And yet, I’m still here, because the simple truth is that despite occasionally doing damage to my reputation by saying and doing some remarkably ill-advised things, the goodwill, the friendships, and the professional opportunities I’ve generated for myself by being active online outweigh the bad things a dozen times over.

This is not a difficult thing to do. Talk to people, seize opportunities to turn online connections into offline ones, and obey Wheaton’s Law. That’s it, and to tell the truth, you can even break Wheaton’s Law from time to time. It’s easy. You can make mistakes (MANY mistakes) and still get a lot out of it.

Which brings me to the point of this post: if you’ve been on Twitter for any length of time and you don’t think you’ve derived $25 worth of value from it, quit. Get off the service and do something more valuable with your time. Just about anything would qualify.

But if you’ve derived more than $25 of value from using Twitter, as I suspect just about anybody reading this has, I’d like you to strongly consider looking into Twestival. Cities all around the world are hosting tweetups to raise money for local charities. They will be fun, awesome, and benefit your community – in Ottawa we’re raising money for the Royal Ottawa Foundation. Twitter’s a free service. You’ve benefitted from it. It’s time to give back.

Buy tickets for Ottawa Twestival here, or visit the main site to find out what’s happening in your area.

Cross posted from this site.

Twestival Ottawa is coming March 24th!

If Twitter's been good to you, now's the chance to give back. 

Twitter's been very good to me: I use it daily to do my job, I'm on it nightly to chat with other geeks and locals, I've won things, been places, done stuff and met people I never would have without being on Twitter. And for that, I am very grateful. 

For me, Twestival is an opportunity to help promote a great cause through my Twitter network, and rub elbows with some of my favourite Tweeps.

A Fundraiser With a Difference

Twestival is not your standard run of the mill fundraiser. We all see posts from folks asking for donations to causes whose overhead will skim a large percentage off the top, and reduce the amount of your contribution that makes to those who need it.

In this respect, Twestival completely stands out. By that I mean, when the organizers say, "The funds we're raising will go towards The Royal Foundation for Mental Health's efforts to launch specialized Women’s and Cultural Health programs" they mean it.

ALL the funds. ALL. 

• There are no credit card fees on the ticket registration, Amiando.
• The location, Daly's, is a donation.
• Local businesses are offering up items for a silent auction.
• Every single dollar raised will go to The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health.

There aren't many events where you can say that. Which is why I'll be there.

I'll also be there for a few other reasons:

• Some of my loved ones have battled depression.
• Mental Health issues deserve more attention and openness.
• The Royal Ottawa is an important Ottawa resource.
• The tragic passing of Daron Richardson reminds us that mental health issues can affect any age.

Mental health is a topic near and dear to my heart. I think it should be discussed openly in order to reduce the stigma that surrounds it. If you think for only a moment, you will likely recognize someone close to you who might have battled post-partum, depression, anxiety... It's probably closer than you realise. 

Join us at Twestival!

I encourage you to buy a ticket and join your fellow tweeps. If you can't make it, you can make a donation and again all the funds go to the Royal Ottawa Foundation. If Twitter's been good to you, now's the chance to give back.

And wear something purple to Twestival in honour of Daron.

See you the 24th!

Quick update for you today: the early bird tickets are SOLD OUT! Wow! Four days and 100 tickets already gone. We are humbled by your support. Please note that phase 2 will have an additional 100 tickets available at $30. The third & final wave will have 50 tickets available at $35. So get your tickets fast so you can have the extra $5 for the auction items, to get a professional avatar picture taken or to purchase some of the DIFD items :)

Also, because of everyone's overwhelming generosity, we are *this* close to crossing the $3000! How awesome is that - so many of you have graciously purchased a ticket and given a little bit extra to the cause - thank you! 

Finally, please take the time to go visit our friend Sara's post: http://mypointsofview.ca/2011/03/09/i-am-not/. Such a beautifully honest, first person account of how mental illness can affect anyone, even if that person doesn't fit any pre-conceived notions of who we think might be affected. Very touching.

We are looking forward to a fantastic event and can't wait to thank you all in person!

Stéphanie