Krystal Cooper was on the 1991-1992 high school computer competition (HSCC) teams trained by BDPA Los Angeles. It 
turns out that she graduated from the same college (University of California, Riverside) as the BETF executive director. Cooper is currently an arts patron and visual effects professional who enjoys pop culture, advocacy and community service.Anyhow, she contacted BDPA about Disney for a Day program created to inspire one million people to volunteer and celebrate volunteerism with a free ticket to a Disney theme park.
BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) ended up participating in this program through the HandsOn Network. HandsOn Network provides a remarkable process for any BDPA chapter to identify volunteers.
BDPA Orlando was the first chapter to take advantage of this program. Chapter president Pablo More wrote,
BDPA Orlando signed up thru the BDPA Foundation to participate in the Hands on Network Give-A-Day-Get-A-Disney-Day program. This program has been very successful for us in getting volunteers for various program meetings as well as for next month's Black Family Tech Awareness Week activities. We have received more than a dozen responses from potential volunteers in the first 2 weeks of the year. I would like to thank John Malonson, BDPA Los Angeles chapter President, for making us aware of this program, as well as Wayne Hicks (BDPA Foundation) for coordinating this fantastic program!
I encourage other chapters whom are in need of volunteers to take a look at this program and also search out other similar programs in your area that can be utilize like this for volunteers. I believe that we will see this model replay itself with other non-profit organizations and private enterprise giving the economic climate and the call for more community action and volunteering to help our neighbors and those less fortunate.
So far we have three chapters -- Los Angeles, New York and Orlando -- participating in this program. Who's next?
