The June 2014 NWITweetup was a great showcase for the meetup organization, with over 50 individuals heading out to Zao Island on a Thursday night for an evening of fun, networking, and contests for charity.
The evening featured great activities provided by Zao Island, which included their new outdoor bar, with a special beer booth from the local brewing superstars at Figure Eight Brewing. One activity planned for the tweetup included the use of Zao Island’s putt-putt golf course for a Closest-to-the-Pin putting contest, with the winner receiving $250 from Berman’s Infiniti of Merrillville.
After a few valiant efforts, some better than others, it came down to Jaime Miller from Housing Opportunities to take the last shot. With two shots stopping about six inches from the hole, she knew she had to make the shot in order to win. And make it, she did.
“It feels fantastic to win,” explained Miller. “This money will be going to Housing Opportunities. We have a homeless shelter program that we don’t receive funds for, except for community funds and gifts. I really appreciate Jae [Chang] for helping us out.”
Following the putt-putt challenge, nonprofit representatives battled it out in an every-representative-for-their-self battle royale in the laser tag arena, with the winner taking home some extra funds for their respective organization.
Dirk and Cory Degraff, two of the 10 representatives on hand from 500 Turkeys, were the winners of the nonprofit laser tag face-off, earning the organization another $250 from Berman’s Infiniti of Merrillville.
“It’s very exciting to win, and we’re proud to be a part of it,” said Jeni Bolton of 500 Turkeys. Bolton also encouraged attendees to attend the 4th Annual Turkeypalooza coming up in July with the goal of raising enough money to feed 800 families.
Jae Chang mentioned his motivation to keep giving at the Tweetups is that the Tweetup organization keeps growing and everyone continues to have fun. Chang was pleased with the turnout of the event and looks forward to the event continuing to grow.
“We obviously want to grow this into a bigger level. It’s not about the money, it’s about spreading the word that there are a lot of nonprofits out there doing a lot of good work," he said.
“Same faces are great and new faces are even better. When I see smiles, it makes it worth everything,” continued Chang. “Like everything we do in life, if we have fun doing it, it isn’t a job. Its fun.”
The details for the next NWITweetup are already being worked out! Be sure to follow the NWITweetup on Facebook, on Twitter, and the #nwitweetup hashtag for the latest information, and you can also find out the latest on NWITweetup on NWIndianaLife.com.
Check out photos on the NWITweetup Facebook page and be sure to tag yourself and your organization!