UAE | Health
Twitter festival to raise funds for autism centre
People willing to help can take part in auction
- By Mahmood Saberi, Senior Reporter
- Published: 00:00 March 24, 2011
Dubai: Twitter Festival, or Twestival, is supporting the Dubai Autism Centre and people can show support by taking part in an auction, organisers said.
The Dubai Twestival is one of 150 such events being organised across the globe and takes place today at InterContinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City.
The Twitter Festival uses social media for social good by connecting communities on a single day to highlight a great cause and have a fun event, say organisers.
The Dubai Autism Centre is struggling to cope with the number of children diagnosed with autism. For every 110 new-born, one baby is diagnosed with autism, according to the director of the centre. Autism is a complex developmental disability. Experts believe that Autism presents itself during the first three years of a person's life.
The condition is the result of a neurological disorder that has an effect on normal brain function, affecting development of the person's communication and social interaction skills.
The Twitter Festival is to raise funds and awareness for a local non-profit organisation, which organisers have identified as having an incredible impact within the community.
Supporters can take part in the auction of ‘cool stuff' or donate directly to the Dubai Autism Centre. Other ways to support is to become a volunteer for the Centre
Twestival is the largest global grassroots social media fund-raising initiative to date. Since 2009, volunteers have raised close to Dh4.4 million ($1.2 million) for 137 non-profits across the globe.
The Dubai event is organised fully by volunteers. There is no entry fee. The hash tag for the Dubai event is #DubaiTwestival.
The other cities where the Twestival us taking place are: Beirut, Doha, Jeddah, Occupied Jerusalem, Riyadh, Tel Aviv and Tunis.
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