Twitter ask on a train gets @RioFerdy5's involvement
Howard Lake | 14 January 2013 | Blogs
Here's another example of the power of Twitter when combined with a dose of serendipity and a willingness to ask.
Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand last week agreed to support charity Danceaid after he was contacted via Twitter on a train journey. Michelle Clark spotted him on a train and shared the news with her friend via her mobile. One friend, Danceaid founder Laura Wilson, urged her to tell Ferdinand about the charity.
Although Clark did not pluck up the courage, Wilson then tweeted directly to Ferdinand, asking him to make contact with Clark on the train. A rather surprised Clark then found herself being approached by Ferdinand who agreed to help the charity.
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RT @shukibyrne: Rio twitpic.com/btutlr is this true? » Yep, news travels fast on this twitter! See if I can help out. #ThrowSomeShapes
— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) January 9, 2013
You can follow the process of the interaction via this collection of tweets, reading from the bottom to the top. Click on the image to enlarge it:
While not all celebrities might react so positively, this example does demonstrate the value of being able to respond to unexpected opportunities and of the ability to communicate directly via Twitter.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.