It Begins

It's that time again.

What time?

Time for ruthless competition, endless inter-service snarkage, and constant meter-watching. Oh, and we raise some money for a good cause, too!

It's the 2007 Valour-IT Veterans Day Fundraising Competition, the yearly slugfest in which milbloggers and friends compete to see who can get to the fundraising goal first. Last year our merry band raised over $230,000 dollars. This year, need among the wounded hasn't changed, with as many as 100 laptops going out each month. But every year, the amazing bloggers who participated have exceeded Valour-IT's wildest hopes. Let's do it again!

Here's the who, what, where, when, why and how of the competition:

Who: Bloggers of any and all stripes who support the U.S. Military
What: Raising $240,000 ($60,000/team) for Project Valour-IT, the non-profit Soldiers' Angels program that helps supply voice-controlled and other adapted laptops to severely-wounded troops.
Where: Starting on the blogs, then spreading through your community and into major media
When: Monday, 29 October through Saturday, 11 November (Veterans Day)
Why: Because reconnecting the wounded with the world is a vital part of their recovery
How: Signing up for your favorite military branch, blogging, auctioning, emailing, and spreading the news

For more info, see the important competition websites listed below.

Team Leaders: Blackfive - Army, Chaotic Synaptic Activity - Navy/Coast Guard, Mudville Gazette - Air Force, SA Holly Aho - Marine Corps

Official Website: history and background on Valour-IT, official donation info
Bulletin Board: general competition info, tech help, team planning, announcements, etc.
Auction Site: donated items for sale
Project Blog: background, interesting links, daily donation tracking, public relations

So, what're ya waitin' for?! Need inspiration? Check my "Selected Valour-IT Posts" in the sidebar or click on the "Valour-IT" category further down.

Let's make this happen! There are wounded men and women out there who need us, and to whom we owe so much. Start helping them out with a donation (see button in the sidebar).