Valour-IT News and Notes

UPDATE: Soldiers Angels/Valour-IT's official press release about the competition

Supporters of Valour-IT, you've been doing amazing work. Not only have we raised a tremendous amount of money, but there's been a lot of great work going on behind the scenes that is starting to bear fruit.

But we're gearing up for the last week of competition, and we're not yet halfway to our goal. Let's get to work! Here are some news and tips that should help us make it to the top:

Auctions: We now have a one-stop auction page. To bid on available items or put something up for auction with proceeds going to Valour-IT, check it out. More info at the project blog.

Flyers: New and improved flyers are finished. You can get them by clicking here. You can find some tips for using flyers here.

Media: Keep pushing the local media angle (newspapers, local TV, news/talk/music radio); we don't have a chance of meeting this goal without reaching far beyond the blogosphere. Tips for contacting media here. We're finding that the technology angle is a great pitch: the laptops are high-tech, the project was conceived and implemented online by a wounded soldier and a music teacher who met each other through blogs, and the bloggers are what drive the fundraising--those three aspects are all great media fodder. If you're asking simply for a little attention, see if they'll just link Valour-IT on their webpage.

Reaching Out to Win: As I wrote above, we have to reach beyond the blogosphere if we want to succeed. With that in mind, here's what you can do:

1. Talk to your friends, neighbors, community and religious organizations of which you are a member. Tell them of the need and impact of Valour-IT.

2. Compose an email briefly explaining Valour-IT and send it to everyone on your email list (be sure to send them here to verify it's legit). Remember, Valour-IT is non-partisan and can practically sell itself when you tell people what it does.

3. Email the big-time, national talkshow hosts that you think might be interested in Valour-IT, especially if you have a membership in their "insider clubs." The more emails they get, the more likely they'll take it seriously or one will be noticed.

4. If you have a connection to a media bigwig, please let us know.

5. Keep up the great work! Mention Valour-IT on your blog at least once a day or put a up a post that stays at the top. We're heading into Veterans Day, and these wounded veterans deserve the very best effort we can give them.

Keep up the great work! I am constantly amazed at the creativity, energy and intelligence of all involved in this effort. You are awesome!