REDMOND, Wash., July 22, 1998 — Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson, St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman and Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles-Belton today joined with leading Twin Cities corporations in proclaiming the nation’s first Online Community Involvement Week. The week of activity focuses Twin Cities residents on the wealth of community involvement and volunteerism information available on the Internet at the Twin Cities Sidewalk
™
city guide ( http://twincities.sidewalk.com ).
Developed in cooperation with The United Way Volunteer Center (Minneapolis), The Volunteer Center (St. Paul) and Community Volunteer Service (Stillwater), the Twin Cities Sidewalk Community section hosts a comprehensive, regularly updated database of over 5,000 volunteer opportunities at hundreds of agencies throughout the area. Users are able to search for opportunities that match their specific criteria, such as time commitment, cause, location and type of opportunity. Custom-written editorial content rounds out the section, allowing users to gain new ideas about involvement in their neighborhoods and insight into specific agencies.
Charting a course for corporate volunteerism via the Internet are Twin Cities-based General Mills Inc., The Pillsbury Co. and St. Paul Companies Inc., which have joined together to promote Sidewalk.com and its Community content to their area-based employees.
“Sidewalk is a quick and easy way to connect employees with an extensive listing of volunteer opportunities available in the Twin Cities,” said William Dittmore, associate director of community affairs and volunteerism at General Mills. “We encourage our employees to explore the various opportunities available via the Internet at Sidewalk.com.”
Microsoft® Sidewalk is the personalized online consumer guide that helps consumers get ideas and make decisions about where to go and what to see, do and buy in their area. From concerts to movies, restaurants and sporting events, Sidewalk provides previews, reviews and even customized suggestions about what’s happening every day. Sidewalk is available in Seattle; New York; Boston; Houston; Denver; Minneapolis/St. Paul; San Francisco; San Diego; Washington, D.C.; and Sydney, Australia. Sidewalk is scheduled to be available in the top 50 U.S. cities by the end of 1998.
Sidewalk is free on the World Wide Web (connect-time charges may apply) at http://sidewalk.com and is a featured offering on The Microsoft Network at http://www.MSN.com/ .
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
#########
Microsoft and Sidewalk are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors : If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
