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Local businesses are connecting through social media to support Epic Change this Thanksgiving. Attend a fun and gratitude filled party to help change young lives in Tanzania.

Virginia Beach, VA November 10, 2009 – On Tuesday, November 24 from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, locals will join EpicChange.org in Hampton Roads to celebrate TweetsGiving09: Epic Thanks at Gordon Biersch in Virginia Beach Town Center. The night will include great music, courtesy of Astro Entertainment, free hors d’oeuvres, courtesy of Gordon Biersch, door prizes, and a cash bar. Tickets are only $10 (online), and all funds raised go directly to EpicChange.org.

Started just one year ago by the charity EpicChange.org, TweetsGiving parties are opportunities for people around the country to come together to express thanks while raising money for a great cause. Organizers are using popular social media channels from Twitter, to Facebook, to You Tube to organize and spread the word about the event. You can follow @TweetsGivingVB on Twitter for regular updates and special announcements. Additionally, you can email tweetsgivingvabeach@gmail.com for ticketing information.

With the support of local businesses, such as Gordon Biersch and Astro Entertainment, the volunteer team behind the Virginia Beach TweetsGiving09 party is hoping to raise more than $5,000 in donations for EpicChange.org. “I’m a social media junkie, and TweetsGiving marries my passion for social media and charity,” says Sonya Schweitzer, CEO of Wave Marketing, event organizer. “This is a great cause, and we are so thankful to our local business partners who are supporting this event.“

Epic Change supports the efforts of Mama Lucy Kamptoni, a Tanzanian who raised money selling chickens to build a school that now serves over 300 children. The primary goal of the school is to ensure that all children in the Kimandolu area are provided access to a high quality education at an affordable price. The school charges tuition to most students, and uses its income to subsidize the costs of orphans and lower income children who attend the school. The 2008 TweetsGiving event raised enough money to build a classroom at Kamptoni’s school. The organizers of this year’s events are hoping to raise enough money to continue this expansion.

“There is a bit of a competition going on among the TweetsGiving organizers nationwide to be the city who raises the most money! So we’re aiming high – we want to raise over $5,000, and we believe we can do it,” reports Karen Clements, another of the event organizers. Leah Kaiz, organizer and sponsor (through her company, Chesapeake Homes) is hoping the Hampton Roads area will turn out in full force to support this fun event. “Let’s show the rest of the country what we can do here in Virginia Beach! I spent some time traveling in Tanzania, and know how much this event can help!”

To buy tickets, donate a door prize, become a sponsor or for additional information, please contact Sonya Schweitzer.

About the Organizers:
Organizers, Sonya Schweitzer, Karen Clements and Leah Kaiz all met through Social Networking, are avid users of Social Media, and have a passion for charity. Sonya is the CEO of Wave Marketing, a full service marketing agency. Karen is a well-known and highly regarded event organizer in the Hampton Roads area. Leah works for Chesapeake Homes as the Online Sales Consultant and Social Media Coordinator.