More tweetup do-gooders party for a cause

While ignorant outsiders are busy slandering Twitter as a place to talk about what you ate for lunch, the social networking service is quickly becoming the place to organize informal fundraisers. These aren't fancy nonprofits, with their fancy high overhead and administration costs. Instead, they're just regular folks using technology to throw a party and generate some dollars for worthy reasons. Take, for example, Rabble for a Cause, a tweetup organized by Kevin and Amy Boulas (@Irant and @WalkingDenver, respectively) to raise cash for the Samaritan House, an organization that provides food, funds and other services for the homeless.

Rabble for a Cause is a particularly apt name, given that a rabble is an unruly mob -- a pretty apt description of the Twitter experience or, for that matter, our lovely town in its early days. "The social web, including Twitter, Facebook, etc., is a great community with interests, jokes, squabbles -- most things a community was when Denver was 1,500 people radiating out from 14th and Larimer a hundred years ago," Kevin says. "These people also live in a physical community where there are people who struggle with diseases, or poverty, or education."

Kevin started the organization about six months ago with three goals in mind -- namely, he says, "figure out a cause you care about; tell people about that cause; and finally, help any way you can -- time, money, or just speaking well of them to your friends. Try to make a difference. This event is all about marrying the virtual social media world and the physical world to bring people together, talk, tell stories and jokes -- and also think for a moment about the people who don't have it as well as we do, and maybe do a little good while we have some fun."

The tweetup happens September 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the upstairs bar of India House, 1514 Blake Street. Suggested minimum donation is $5, but Boulas encourages attendees to "bring more if you've got it. If you are a cheapskate, you don't HAVE to give, but bring a few generous friends to make up for your slackerness!" That will net you some free appetizers, and drink specials like $2 beers and $4 well drinks, plus 30 percent off dinner if you stick around for it. You can RSVP for the event at the Rabble for a Cause Eventbrite page -- and don't forget to tweet the good word using the #rabbleforacause hashtag.