Twitter Challenge

My Public Relations Campaigns class has been assigned a "Twitter Challenge" for a week. From Wednesday to Wednesday we are to tweet at least 35 times which is a minimum of 5 times every day. This will be difficult in itself because most of us have only had Twitter for a semester and I just cant think of 5 things to say on Twitter in a day but I am trying very hard! In addition to the first challenge we also must follow at least 25 more practitioners of public relations and social media and try to engage in a conversation with them. I have tried to do the 5 tweets a day and right now I believe I am on track but it is so hard to keep up with! The second part of the challenge is even more difficult because not many PR Professionals want to follow me! I will try and add them and then I get no response. I currently have 84 followers and if you ask me, thats not to bad! I do believe Twitter is a great social media tool because there is so much you can do with it. I recently created a list for all of the Phi Mu's at GCSU, only one from my class is following it so far but hey, more might soon! I love to see local businesses and people I know join Twitter because I would much rather follow someone I know than a stranger in cyber space. Well wish us luck on this challenge, hopefully we will all pass with flying colors and don't end up "tweeted out"!

Haiti Earthquake Relief

Mobile giving for the Haiti Earthquake Relief has reached over $30 million in donations. This money has been donated from Americans and Canadians and it is very simple by the Mobile Giving Foundation. You can donate money by texting a keyword to a designated short code via a mobile phone, a micro-donation of $5 or $10 can be made to aid the millions of people affected by this tragedy. 100% of your donation goes to the recipient charity, and the donation appears as a charge on your carrier bill, standard rates may apply. Tweets such as "Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to @RedCross relief" helped make others aware of ways to donate.

It is amazing to me that by simplifying the way people can donate money, numbers fly through the ceiling! Standing in front of a mall with a bucket asking for donations is no longer the way to go. People like for things to be short and sweet and the Mobile Giving Foundation has done just that. I really like this form of PR because it is actually benefiting people in need. This campaign has shown us that people are willing to give, you just must figure out a way that is convenient for them.

I felt most inclined to donate to and promote the Children's Miracle Network fund in Haiti. This special fund will directly benefit pediatric hospitals in the Children’s Miracle Network that are supporting the Haiti crisis relief efforts. Here are just a few examples of how Children’s Miracle Network hospitals are supporting Haiti relief and the type of care that will be supported by the Children’s Miracle Network Haiti fund:

-Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh accepted more than 50 Haitian orphans into the hospital; all are triage patients.

-The US Department of Health and Human Services has asked Le Bonheur Children’s in Memphis, Tenn. to provide two pediatric medical teams to assist in Haiti – a surgical critical care team and a critical care transport team. The hospital is also sending supplies and pharmaceuticals to Haiti.

-Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, R.I. sent two craniofacial surgeons, one of which previously spent a year working in Haiti. Medical supplies - including surgical packs, gauze, scalpels, sutures, anesthesia, gowns, surgical drapes, and more - have also been provided to the area.As part of Orlando Health-Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children is collaborating with the US Department of Health and Human Services and other organizations to provide support and care to evacuees coming to Central Florida who need medical treatment.

Phi Mu's philanthropy is CMN so this is very close to my heart and I am very happy to see this up and thriving. You can donate $10 to the CMN Haiti Fund by texting "HAITICMN" to 85944.

When you Google search "Haiti Earthquake Relief" it actually scrolls through tweets of people talking about the Haiti Relief Fund. It is so cool that we not only have access to this type of technology such as Twitter, but you can actually see what people are talking about. This technology has been a huge help to the people of Haiti and I am so glad that so many people find the need to give.