Long renowned for being on the cutting edge of contemporary rock 'n' roll, Linkin Park continue being ahead of the curve when it comes to charitable causes--and their latest crusade via Music For Relief puts a whole new spin on contributing to a worthy cause.
The cause itself? Haitian relief. The troubled country, already in the midst of a years-long food crisis, was pummeled by a hurricane last September which destroyed crops, killed livestock, and raised its overall misery index to near intolerable levels.
Linkin Park hope to raise a minimum of $25,000 to provide support to the country, and is doing so via the site SocialVibe.com, a new "social media" platform that specializes in helping its users support brands and charities via social networks like Facebook and MySpace. Members of SocialVibe can create personalized badges and place them on any of their social network profiles. Advertising revenue that SocialVibe receives from its brand partners is then allocated to the individual charities that its users select. In the case of Linkin Park here--advertising revenue will go directly to the laudable Music For Relief organization--without users needing to spend any of their own money. Founded by the band in 2005, the non-profit MFR is dedicated to providing aid to survivors of natural disasters and reducing global warniming. To date, the organization has raised over $3 million for victims of Southeast Asia's tsunami tragedy and Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Rita & Gustav; additionally, they've planted over 800,000 trees to reduce global warming.
Linkin Park is also putting its money where its mouth is via a contest that will allow a participating fan the opportunity to come to Los Angeles and meet the band in the studio. Details about the contest can be found here.
As the accompanying videos make clear, Haitian relief is a cause near and dear to the hearts of Linkin Park. The first step in contributing to the cause--again, at no cost to you--is checking out SocialVibe here, creating a badge, and helping bring others needed relief.