Perron’s Twitter Fundraiser
Collects $4,500

At the start of February, I posted in this article about the plan David Perron had to help raise money for the disaster in Haiti. The plan was simple: For each new follower Perron received on Twitter in the month of February, he would donate $1 to the Red Cross to assist the efforts in Haiti. The final total came to a whopping $4,500 – all through the power of social media.

It really is amazing what technology can do these days. It can connect fans from cities, states and countries away. It connects players to their fan base, none more evident than David Perron who regularly checks in to both his Facebook and Twitter pages.

Not only is Perron an extremely talented hockey player, but it is obvious he loves to interact with his fans and give back to those that follow him with the team. Perron regularly gives out autographed pucks, sticks and other memorabilia to those that follow him, and holds special contests for his followers. From a marketing perspective, Perron is doing a fantastic job of engaging his audience, though it is clear he is not doing any of this for himself or for any self promotion.

No one really knew just how many followers Perron could gain in a month, but his goal was a massive one. Just after he announced his $1 per follower plan, he received a wave of new faces over the next few days that numbered somewhere around the 2k mark.

The final donation came to $4,500 – not too bad for just a few words on Twitter. Perron’s donation shows what a tremendous individual he is both on the ice and off, and his interaction with the fan base truly stands out and should be recognized/appreciated.

We all tend to focus on wins and losses, goals and assists, but there is much more to the game and to these athletes than that. Perron’s actions off the ice are really second to none, and are a big reason why I hope he stays in St. Louis for many years to come.