As the Internet Week buzz begins to wind down, and the twitter community burns through the #IWNY hashtag beyond viral status, a non-profit finds a way to harness the power of the Internet and use it for a good cause. This year, the twitter hashtag #GIRLSWHOROCK has become one of the most popular hashtags used during Internet Week.
GIRLS WHO ROCK used their hashtag to get the word out to a community that may not be actively following non-profits. Through Internet Week, they were able to connect with influentials in the music industry as well as Internet professionals to achieve awareness by creating a social impact.
Internet Week New York is a weeklong event catered to all things Internet related. From web developers, to digital start-ups, to bloggers and more, attendees are tweeting their every move and connecting their thoughts by adding #IWNY to those tweets.
This Friday, GIRLS WHO ROCK, the largest social good event partnering with Internet Week, will take place at the Gramercy Theatre. American Idol Season 10 finalist, Haley Reinhart, will headline the concert which is in its third year. The concert is to benefit She’s The First, an educational non-profit, and its partner school in India, Shanti Bhayan Children’s Project whose mission is to empower the local youth. This year, 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to sponsor girls’ education in India.
Additional performers include Sarah Gregory, of Brooklyn’s Sarah and the Stanleys; Jessica Latshaw, who was discovered while performing on the subway; Shin-B, the artist known for using QR codes in her music video and mash-up artists, The Jane Doze. With Michael Thurber as emcee, the concert also includes a special performance by the Park Slope Rock School featuring an original song dedicated to their peers at Shanti Bhavan.
It was through Twitter that the concert organizers were able to get this eclectic mix of performers to volunteer their time and talents this evening. All it took was a tweet, a sincere conversation and the intent to help others. Their efforts will help She’s the First reach their goal of raising $50,000.
The GIRLS WHO ROCK concert begins at 8 PM and is sponsored by Umojawa, an online community for social change and civic engagement. Tickets are available via eventbrite and start at $50.
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ABOUT GIRLS WHO ROCK:
GIRLS WHO ROCK is a production that aims to bring together the strongest voices in technology, entertainment, and design to advocate and fundraise for girls’ education worldwide. The concert is a partnership with She’s the First and Internet Week New York.
ABOUT SHE’S THE FIRST:
She’s the First is a not-for-profit that sponsors girls’ education in the developing world, so that they can be first in their family to graduate from high school. For sponsors, She’s the First provides community, leadership opportunities, and a sense of global citizenship. For underprivileged girls, a sponsorship is life-changing: Most will be the first in their families to graduate.
She‘s the First partners with charitable NGOs that run the sponsorship programs in third-world countries. The She’s the First team extensively interviews all partners and maintains a close relationship with program directors year-round, posting their firsthand updates on the girls to She’s the First blog.