Malay Mail, 23 March 2010

THIS week, Kuala Lumpur plays host yet again to its second Twitter Festival, also known as a "Twestival", a non-profit event which brings together fans of the free social networking and micro-blogging service for a good cause.

The event, which will be held this Thursday at Starbucks, Tropicana City Mall from 7pm onwards, is open to members of the public for a minimum donation of RM5. For the first time, Twestival will also be hosted in two other states - Sabah and Penang. Supporters can follow the event @TwestivalKL on Twitter (www.twitter.com/twestivalkl).

Organised entirely by volunteers, Twestival KL (www.kuala­lumpur.twestival.com), raises money for the Concern Worldwide charity, an international humanitarian organisation focused on improving the lives of the impoverished and ending extreme poverty.

Malaysian Twitterers can help support the cause by putting themselves (through services they offer to perform) or products up for auctions, where 100 per cent of the proceeds go to Concern Worldwide.

Volunteered auctions are posted onto http://twestivalkl.wiki­spaces.com/Auctions and Malaysian twitterers are able to bid on the auctions via Twitter. The auctions will close on the day itself and attendees to the event will have one last chance to put in their final bids.

There has been a host of Twestivals worldwide raising money for a variety of charities close to home. The very first Twestival in Malaysia was held on Sept 12, 2009, where over 200 participants came together and raised over RM11,000 for Destiny Starting Point - a home in Klang which aims to train and rehabilitate delinquent youths. The event was driven by volunteers and generous sponsors, with all of the proceeds going to the des­ignated charity.