This just in:

On February 12, 2009, over 175 cities around the world will host Twestivals to raise money for Charity:Water. Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States and home to a vibrant and diverse digital community, will join cities like London, Paris, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Beijing, Sydney, Melbourne, and Lima, who are rallying together as a unified force for positive action to help Charity:Water in its efforts to bring safe, clean drinking water to developing communities in need.

Over the course of 24 hours, Twestival – “Twitter + festival” – will bridge the “real” and “virtual” worlds, engaging Twitter communities through 100% volunteer-run local events and online social media websites. Global sponsorships from internet partners such as Amiando, TipJoy, LiveEarth, Mashable, and Twestival.fm are helping Twestival ensure that 100% of the money raised from these events will go directly to support Charity:Water projects.

Started in London in 2008, Twestival was born out of the idea that if cities were able to collaborate on an international scale while working at the local level, it could have a spectacular impact. Capitalizing on “tweet-ups” – in-person meet-ups for people who socialize through the microblogging service Twitter.com – Twestival took a charitable approach and adopted the slogan “‘Tweet. Meet. Give.”

Twestival Houston will take place from 5:30pm to 10:00pm on February 12 at Caroline Collective (4820 Caroline, 77004), Houston’s first – and the nation’s largest – co-working space. A unique combination of private workspace, public art space, and open collaborative desk space, Caroline Collective was one of several businesses on Twitter who volunteered their venue for the Twestival. Others included Coffee Groundz, Saute Bistro, Sweet Leaf Tea, and Saint Arnold Brewing Company.

Businesses weren’t the only unexpected Twitter volunteers. Bands like Wayside Drive, Snakecharmers, Blue Funk, and RC and the Pirates volunteered to perform; non-profit organizations like Spacetaker, Fresh Arts Houston, Diverseworks, Mercury Baroque, and Houston Museum of Natural Science donated raffle prizes; Houston FlashMob and Sexy Attack volunteered to respectively “mob” and “attack”; and numerous members of Houston’s Twitterati offered help from all directions.

Amanda Rose, one of the organizers of Twestival, said: “We’re already blown away by the global reception and how keen people are to invest their time and energy for free, to the Twestival and get behind charity: water.  Social tweet ups like this are a great way to meet the faces behind those avatars while raising a lot of money for a fantastic cause.  Twestival is organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all event proceeds will go directly to support charity:water projects in developing countries, which will positively impact the lives of thousands.”

Grace Rodriguez, the event organizer for Twestival Houston, added: “It’s incredible how kind and generous Houston’s Twitter community is. Within just 24 hours of tweeting ‘HOLY: just found out that http://twestival.com listed me as point guard for Houston Twestival 2009…that’s Feb 12…that’s <1 month…help!’ I received over 40 replies from individuals, bands, DJs, and businesses – all volunteering time, services, venues, raffle prizes – and volunteers are still rolling in. Caroline Collective, Coffee Groundz, Sweet Leaf Tea, Saint Arnold’s Brewery, and Guitar Center joined us as in-kind sponsors, helping us keep costs to relatively nothing so that every dollar we raise goes directly to Charity:Water. We’re placing water jugs around town to collect in-person donations; and Amiando’s online event registration service waived all fees to help us guarantee that every cent donated through the site goes directly to Charity:Water. I’m so excited about Twestival Houston: with such an outpour of support from the community, we just may reach our goal of raising $4000 to help Charity:Water build a well!”

Charity:Water commented: “We’re thrilled that the Twitter community around the world is coming together to bring clean, safe drinking water to those in need by raising funds and awareness with an event on the scale of Twestival. This is an amazing opportunity to bring the cause and its message to a global community.”

To learn more about Twestival Houston, visit http://houston.twestival.com or http://www.amiando.com/twestivalhouston.html. For more information on Twestival International and to see the full list of cities participating, go to the official event website at www.twestival.com or follow @twestival on Twitter. For information on Charity:Water, visit http://www.charitywater.org.