A DonorsChoose.org Miracle: My Dinner With Jerry (and BoomTown Plans to Vanquish the Naked Scoble!)
by Kara Swisher
Posted on October 1, 2008 at 6:35 AM PT
If it’s Oct. 1, it must be time for the DonorsChoose.org’s Blogger Challenge 2008!
DonorsChoose.org is a charity that funds classroom projects in high-need public schools, using the Web to match teacher project requests with donors.
Last year, BoomTown did pretty well, raising $12,199 from 52 donors and impacting 1,940 students.
But Tomato Nation’s Sarah Bunting ran away with the overall competition by raising more than $100,000 from almost 1,100 donors, mostly by promising to dress up like a giant tomato.
In the tech arena, venture capitalist Fred Wilson beat me–despite my best efforts, including the use of BoomTown’s progeny as props in shameless videos over the course of the competition–by raising $18,538 from 92 donors.
Both Bunting and Wilson were awarded lunch with Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, the prize his company offered to the bloggers who garnered the biggest number of donors.
Since Yang was not talking to me last year, part of Yahoo’s crackerjack cave-dwelling press policy at the time, I tried but failed to capture the coveted lunch, so I could get a little time with the reluctant-to-speak exec.
But we do not give up at AllThingsD: The Yang pursuit lasted all year long. He finally relented in late May, after I cornered him onstage at the sixth D: All Things Digital conference and forced him to promise in front of an audience of more than 600 to have a lovely grilled cheese with me.
Yang’s price? That I donate $500 to DonorsChoose.org.
Thus, a deal was struck and, better yet, we ended up having a lovely dinner at John Bentley’s in Woodside two weeks ago.
Now I am back without an insane obsession, although I have my best begging tools at the ready–now both my kids can talk–and a long list of technology requests in high-need public schools.
You can click here to reach the giving page or use the widget on the lower right side of the ATD homepage or the left side of the main BoomTown page.
Time is of the essence! In the tech blogger space, Wilson is already up to his nefarious VC tricks. Worse still, the very sneaky Robert Scoble has entered the contest too.
I simply cannot get bested by a clown like Scoble, now can I?
(I mean, really, take a long gander at the frequently nude dude pictured here!)
I think I have just found my 2008 inspiration! Game on, naked boy!
Seriously, start giving until it hurts and then give more or I am in danger of being Scobleized.
Until then, here is a special video message from Yang himself, proof that determination and obnoxiousness always prevail:
Comments
Wow. I donated, and can’t believe what these classroom teachers don’t have. Headsets? Printers? It’s criminal.
Posted by francine hardaway at October 1st, 2008 at 5:01 pmHello & THANK YOU for advocating on behalf of Donors Choose and promoting my project “Prevention Through Creative Expression”. My students are already hard at work. Our first production is based on “Pay It Forward” the book and movie. We are basically focusing on doing Random Acts of Kindness.
Posted by Jacqueline Garcia at October 2nd, 2008 at 2:51 pmOnce again thanks!!
I am a teacher and I am so grateful to Donorschoose!!! They have made it possible with the donations of generous people for my students to have many resources that have helped me give them a better education. Thank you for promoting my proposal Help Us Get a LCD Projector And Bring Math Alive!
Posted by America Mendoza at October 2nd, 2008 at 6:18 pmTHANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!! I am a teacher and I can’t thank you enough for your support of my project (Perfect Printing) and of other teachers projects. We work so hard and with the help of your generosity it just helps make our jobs that much easier and more fun!
Posted by robyn clark at October 3rd, 2008 at 4:37 amThank you again!!!!
I am truly honored to have my project, “Say CHEESE Please” receive so much support. A warm, heartfelt thank you goes out to all of the generous people, who give so willing to make the lives of other better.
Posted by jolie authement at October 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 pmWow…since your posting of my project “Prevention Through Creative Expression” I have received $325.00 yeah!!! We just might reach our goal at this rate!!! A million thanks again for your attention
Posted by Jacqueline Garcia at October 3rd, 2008 at 7:23 pm