News

Haiti Fundraising Campaign

FireText Donates Software for Haiti Fundraising Campaign

With an estimated 3 million Haitians affected and up to 50,000 dead following an earthquake that devastated the capital of Haiti, the team at Firetext has decided to lend a hand to help raise money for the relief effort.

Firetext is offering its Text Message Software free of charge to sports teams, broadcasters, nightclubs, and any other organizations willing to help out via a text message fundraising campaign.

"I really wanted to do something to help the people in Haiti, and writing a cheque didn't seem sufficient," said Firetext Directer Raoul Bhatt. "By providing our software for free, as a vehicle to collect donations, we have the ability to raise an immense amount of money for the Red Cross."

FireText has been in talks with Telus to provide assistance free of charge for the campaign, meaning 100 per cent of all the proceeds will go directly to the Red Cross.

The traditional form of donations has been to phone, visit a website or mail in your donations with charitable organizations replying with a card or email thanking you for your donations and explaining how your money will help people. FireText hopes to speed up and enhance that process by allowing donators a way of expressing their wishes via text message to tv screens at stadiums during a hockey game, nightclubs while they are out, radio stations as they drive to work and at churches as they pray. They can text their message to tv screens while instantly donating $5 or $10 and receive an instant thank you message right on their cell phone with information about where their money has been used. These messages can be exported and sent to the Red Cross to display in Haiti to show that Canadians care.

FireText hopes to raise $1 million for the relief effort in Haiti by making the donation process interactive and instant.

100% of each donation will go directly to the cause, FireText is offering the technology at no cost to their current customers and all new businesses that want to make a difference. If you are interested in participating apply for your Haiti Donation Keyword, Firetext License and TV Template by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and include your name, company name and contact information. Setup takes only 10 minutes and you can make a difference to those in need!

Washington Post - It's All About Text Appeal

There's a flock of naked women in the music video on the screen, hidden only by two black bars strategically superimposed on each body. They're bopping along together, doing some sort of synchronized dance; there are several close-ups of their toes.

At the Friday night Liberation dance party at DC9, people are digging the video. Then, just as it's ending, the screen flashes to a list of messages. "This video is [expletive] awesome," reads the most recent.

The dispatch was from someone in the club who sent a text message to DC9's video screen: a feature installed in mid-June as the latest interactive way to attract and entertain customers. Although it's one of the few nightclubs in the District to use text-to-screen technology, clubs elsewhere, noticing that there are nearly as many clubgoers texting as talking, have started to capitalize on the trend.

"I've seen friends in the same room 20 feet apart sending messages to each other," said Bill Spieler, owner of DC9. "Which to me is silly, but I can't fight what is happening."

Text Messaging for all to see

Dance music thumps and the alcohol flows, but the patrons at this nightclub bow their heads over cellphones as their thumbs poke out text messages.

And Rob Allen, manager at Union Hall, couldn't be happier.

What might seem like a worrisome sign of bored customers really means they're into the place -- because they're actually interacting with each other via the club's 15-foot projection screens.

The nightclub is one of a growing roster of businesses from bars to multinational corporations around the world using software developed in Edmonton to attract customers, entertain them and market to them through their own mobile phones.

"It's just something for people to do to keep them entertained inside the club," Allen said.

"Quite regularly, you'll read text messages such as 'that bartender over there is hot' or 'Fred, meet me by the bathrooms.' "

The Union Hall's owners installed FireText a year ago.