XChange Americas Channel@Work Program is Game Changer for Denver Kids

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Aug. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Everything Channel, a UBM company today announced details for the Channel@Work charitable project that will precede the kick-off of its XChange Americas event, taking place August 10-13 at the Hyatt Regency Denver and the Denver Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. The initiative continues the 2011 commitment to connecting with local Boys & Girls Clubs to make contributions of time, technology, and funds to positively impact the cities that host Everything Channel events.

The Channel@Work team reached out to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver and was connected with the Boettcher branch. This club is located in a low-income neighborhood in northwest Aurora, and serves more than 1,000 youth each year.  The time of year was right for the Scrub-a-Club program, where volunteers come in to help make the facility clean and ready for the school year.  

"We never know what we will find when we make contact with the club in our host city," said Lisa Mackenzie, senior vice president of events at Everything Channel.  "The Boettcher club is a perfect fit: they run a technology program – something near and dear to us, and a place where our community has the means to contribute a little extra."  

The event is scheduled from 1:00-5:00pm on August 9th, and is made possible by the generous support of Microsoft, the project underwriter. The group of 50+ volunteers, made up of Everything Channel staff, Microsoft and other contributing vendors, and solution provider event attendees, will be working hands-on in the Boettcher facility to complete the list of tasks identified by the club.

The three-part project includes:

Scrub-a-Club

Work teams will roll up their sleeves and work on tasks including: clearing and fencing an outdoor play space, patching and painting club walls, and installing display shelves in the teen and art rooms for awards and artwork.

Build-a-Backpack

All donated by Microsoft, 500 backpacks will be filled with back-to-school supplies in a volunteer assembly line. Bags will be distributed by the Boys & Girls Club to kids in their after school program.

Technology Refresh

The IT channel community has a chance to shine – supporting the technology program by donating and setting up equipment.  A team also will be troubleshooting a networking issue that the club is experiencing.

The project will culminate in a celebration and unveiling to some of the kids from the club.

"Microsoft is committed to providing opportunities for children to fulfill their potential and become future leaders," said Eric Martorano, senior director of SMB channels for Microsoft. "We're really excited to support the efforts of the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver, given all the great work they do to enhance the lives of the city's youth."

"We are very appreciative of the community support that we receive – but this is the first time that we have encountered unsolicited support of this magnitude," said Cara Hart, IT Manager, Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver. "We have been overwhelmed by the response to our needs and our wish list, and we can't wait for event day."

Channel@Work is the charitable component of Everything Channel events connecting and giving back to the communities in our host cities.  For more information on the program, please visit:  www.everythingchannelevents.com/channel@work.

Everything Channel

Everything Channel is the premier provider of IT channel-focused events, media, research, consulting, and sales and marketing services. With over 30 years of experience and engagement, Everything Channel has the unmatched channel expertise to execute integrated solutions for technology executives managing partner recruitment, enablement and go-to-market strategy in order to accelerate technology sales. Everything Channel is a UBM company. To learn more about Everything Channel, visit us at http://www.everythingchannel.com. Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/everythingchnl.

UBM plc (www.ubm.com)

UBM plc is a leading global business media company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,000 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

About Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx)

Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft serves millions of small and medium-sized businesses in the U.S., helping them start, grow and thrive by leveraging today's powerful and affordable technologies.  At the pillar of these technologies lies cloud computing, in which Microsoft has more than 15 years of experience and understands how to meet the demands of SMBs for simplicity and impact, with enterprise-grade capabilities, flexibility and affordability in a familiar environment.

Press Contact:
Betzi-Lynn Hanc, Marketing Manager
Everything Channel
508.416.1182
[email protected]

SOURCE Everything Channel