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Web hosting industry unites to help Haiti

In the ten days since the Caribbean island nation of Haiti was struck by a devasting 7.0-magnitude earthquake, individuals and businesses from around the world have offered up monetary donations in order to help fund relief efforts currently taking place. Many millions have been raised and the hosting industry in particular has stood out as a generous innovator.

Aiming to maximize donations from customers by allowing the entire industry to collaborate, Hosting for Haiti is an online project headed up by several major hosting firms including Rackspace Hosting, Peer1 Hosting, GoGrid, The Planet, ServInt, Webair, HostGator.com, SingleHop, VPS.NET, SoftLayer, and Site5. By partnering with the American Red Cross, the hosting consortium is rounding up funds to help with relief efforts by mobilizing workers, purchasing and sending supplies such as food and clean water and providing the financial resources that will be necessary as the shattered country works to rebuild.

Although normally fiercely competitive, as members of the hosting community we know that the power we wield as a group is much more than we can wield individually. And so we’ve come together to help assist those affected by this disaster. With the generosity of all our combined customers, we hope to make a difference. And you can too. One dollar helps. One hundred dollars helps one hundred times more.

Individual hosts are also helping to make a difference with substantial donations being made by several firms in the days following the earthquake. The most recent notable donation was announced today by hosting provider SingleHop, adding an additional $10,000 to the cause by giving to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, a partnership set up by Bill Clinton and George Bush that will see their respective camps cover all administrative costs, guaranteeing that every dollar donated goes straight to the many victims of this natural disaster. The industry’s most notable donation came last week as domain and hosting giant GoDaddy announced a $500,000 gift to be made via the Hope for Haiti Fund.

If you’re looking to help donate to the worthy cause of helping the Haitian people get back on their feet there are many avenues available to you. Companies active in the hosting sector are encouraged to contact Hosting For Haiti in order to join the consortium in encouraging customer donations and agencies such as the Red Cross as accepting cash donations as quickly as they can be sent.

If you’re a hosting customer whose provider is not yet involved in the effort, encourage them to donate on your behalf. Individual donations can also be made easily by texting HAITI to 90999; a $10 donation will be made to the Red Cross in your name with the charge appearing on your wireless provider’s next bill.

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Tags: donation, financial aid, GoGrid, Haiti, help, HostGator, Hosting for Haiti, hosting industry, HostingDiscussion, Peer 1, Rackspace Email, Red Cross, relief efforts, ServInt, SingleHop, Site5, SoftLayer, The Planet, VPS.net, web hosting provider, Webair