KBIS raised more than $2,300 at Modenus.com’s inaugural Soho Romp to aid victims of Hurricane Sandy. The concept combined shopping, fundraising and 20 design bloggers to raise funds for one of the families directly affected by the October super storm.
“After seeing the utter devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy, we wanted to do something constructive,” said Jim Scott, managing director, Kitchen and Bath Show for Nielsen Expositions. “The home is what we do, and being able to help a family rebuild after the storm is an honor.”
The money raised from this event will go to a young couple, Carinne and Rob, who lost their home to the fires that swept through Breezy Point, Queens, during the hurricane on October 29, 2012. This was the first home that Carinne and Rob owned together after they married in 2010.
While they did have homeowners insurance, those who live in Breezy Point weren’t covered by flood insurance. As a result, this tragedy has left many wondering how they will begin to rebuild. Carinne and Rob lost everything and are expecting the birth of their first child in April.
Modenus, through sponsors KBIS, Liebherr and Capital, conceived an idea to bring 20 design bloggers together to shop in 10 selected stores in the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan in an afternoon program called, “TheSoho Romp.”
By harnessing the power of Twitter to publicize the event, attendees tweeted out their locations throughout the day using the hashtag “#SohoRomp” in their Tweets. For each mention of the hashtag, each sponsor donated $1. An additional $500 was donated by Mr.Steam.
“It was a thrill to harness the power of social media to make a direct impact on the lives of some people who need a helping hand,” said Veronika Miller, CEO of Modenus.com. “Our lives and our careers are built around social media and it’s wonderful to put those skills and tools to use in a capacity such as this.”
