SXSW organizers rally to collect tsunami relief

AUSTIN - Just as SXSW attendees were landing in Austin and heading to their first conference sessions, news and images of the terrible tsunami that hit Japan were hitting the Web. Organizers acted quickly to create a site (sxsw4japan.org) that not only accepts contributions, but also enables attendees to do what they do best, share the news and create their own support networks.

The goals of sxsw4japan.org are simple:

1. DONATE: Make a donation or text your donation to 90999
2. SHARE: On the Web, on Twitter, mention it in your SXSW talks with #sxswcares and #sxsw4japan
3. CREATE A FUNDRAISING PAGE: Start a page so your friends/family can donate to disaster relief.

The original goal of $10,000 has been doubled to $20,000. So far the site has raised more than $15,000 with two days remaining.

SXSW organizers are also encouraging attendees to like the Facebook page of DogBlessyou.org. The site, which is affiliated with the Annenberg Foundation, is donating $1 for every person who "likes" they page over the next few days.

This article, written by Dan Costa, originally appeared on PCMag.com and is republished on Gear Live with the permission of Ziff Davis, Inc.