HoHoTO – Our 5th Year

As many of you know, I am one of the founders of HoHoTO – “the party that twitter built”. It wasn’t really built by twitter, but on twitter by a group of people who didn’t really even know each other.

It all started with a little tweet. A little spark of an idea, that one person took, modified and sent out to the ether. Another person replied, tweaking as they went. And then another. And another. (15 people.)  And then beers (many beers.) And then in what felt like no time (13 days) we filled the Mod Club and raised $25,000 for Daily Bread.

15 people, 13 days, an idea, an intention, a lot of disruption.  A desire to help make the world suck a little less, and a willing and active community of engaged people and companies.

We didn’t create this out of nothing. We didn’t do it alone. We did it with the passion and support of a huge community of people.  Some were there for the party. Some were there for the networking. Some were there for the prizes. But at some level, and in some way, we were all there for each other and for our community.

That’s what Daily Bread Food Bank and all the food banks are there for: their communities.  The people who work their asses off every day and can just barely make rent. The people who are feeding their kids first. The people who are going to bed hungry. The people who are trying to keep it together to make thing better and a single week or month or quarter of help from an organisation like Daily Bread is enough for them to make it. And keep their dignity.

Because that’s what we all want, isn’t it? A little dignity even when things are tough?

The people who use Daily Bread are our neighbours, our friends, our family, our community.

That’s what makes HoHoTO so special to me.  Watching my community, family, friends and neighbours all come together to support each other. Work together, create, inspire and disrupt each other until we find a way to make it work. To make it possible to give. To raise money to help the people in our community have the nourishment they need to work, create, inspire and disrupt and then turn around and help someone else.

So, if you are wondering what to do with that $20 in your pocket, donate it to HoHoTO

So, if you are wondering what to do Thursday night in Toronto, buy your ticket now and come on out to HoHoTO.  For $40 you party for a night, and they eat for a week. Besides, it’s going to be a kick-ass party!

Here’s a little look at our first year.

Oh ya, and since 2008, that final number of $25,000 has increased to be over $225,000!  Let’s see where HoHoTO 2012 leaves us!