It’s the time of year when the focus on giving becomes front and center, at least for What’s Trending and Ford Motor Company. The two brands have teamed up once again for the 3rd annual Tube-A-Thon on December 11, 2014 to raise money for Covenant House.
The holiday-themed event combines a fundraising telethon with a variety show full of Hollywood and YouTube celebrities and musicians, as well as stand-up acts from Comedy Gives Back. Tube-A-Thon will be live streamed from Siren Studios in Hollywood on What’s Trending’s YouTube channel on 12/11/2014 from 10 PM to 12 AM EST. The charity initiative will also make its TV debut on AXS TV as an edited one-hour special.
During Tube-A-Thon, the online video masses can participate in the evening’s events by using the hashtag #Tubeathon or #GoFurther. For every tweet with one of these hashtags, Ford will donate $1 to Covenant House, a charity which provides shelters, care, and other services for homeless youths across the Americas. Gaming charity Tiltify will also simultaneously stream via Twitch to raise more funds for Covenant.
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“It’s an honor for Ford to once again partner with What’s Trending and continue efforts to improve the lives of youth in need,” said Ford representative, Mary Ellen Abraham, in the release. “We hope more people will Go Further with Ford and What’s Trending this year to exceed last year’s results, as well as enjoy the world class talent that comes together for the Tubeathon.”
“I couldn’t be more excited to have Ford on board again to bring together the community and fans from around the world around a great cause,” added Shira Lazar, founder of What’s Trending and Tube-A-Thon. “Tube-A-Thon continues to be a highlight of my year, and it’s an honor to have worked with the Covenant House to help and empower today’s youth that need support. This year we will continue to raise more money than previous years and work towards innovating fundraising through digital and social media.”
Lazar’s admirable goal is lofty, but judging from last year’s response to Tube-A-Thon, it may not be out of reach. The 2013 event was a certified success generating around 167,000 tweets that used the Tube-A-Thon hashtags. Additionally, Tube-A-Thon’s hashtags hit the #2 and #3 trending spots worldwide on Twitter for the night.
Plus, this year’s guest list should attract a none-too-small audience. It includes plenty of faces digital viewers will want to see on camera, including Trevor Moran, Liane V. Ft. Mucho DeNiro, Alex G., Sam Tsui, Jasmine V., Timothy DeLaGhetto, Kurt Hugo Schneider, Andy Milanokis, Brittany Furlan, Janina Gavankar, Glozell, Kingsley, Nerdist, Rooster Teeth, Jessi Smiles, Pia Toscano, King Bach, Shanna Moakler, The Buried Life, Destorm Power, Alphacat, Steve-O, Boyce Avenue, Far East Movement, Straight No Chaser, Elle Winter, Us The Duo, and Quincy.
As you wait for the Tube-A-Thon stream to go live on December 11, tune into What’s Trending’s YouTube channel for its lead-up “12 Days of Tube-A-Thon,” where a new surprise video will launch every day at 9 AM EST. The first video is from Jonathan Mann, a singer-songwriter who’s written and performed a song a day since launching his YouTube channel in 2009.
Update: Check out the live stream of the #Tubeathon event below on December 11 from 10 PM to 12 AM EST!
