At Filter Box Media we believe in thinking globally and acting locally. We lived out this credo in September by organizing and rocking out our very own Twestival Local Montreal. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, this Twitter gala was a Montreal-focused version of the Twestival Global event last February that raised $250,000 for Charity:Water (an initiative that sought to provide clean drinking water to developing countries). But thinking on a more local level led Twitter users to vote for Head & Hands, a Montreal-based charity that offers outreach to at-risk youth. And by the end of the night, we had raised $2,228 for them to invest in their barrier-free health and social services to youth ages 12-25.

During the course of the night, we ran a professional photo booth, sold Twitter-themed cupcakes, raffled off donated prizes, and ran a Beatles Rock Band set upstairs. But being a music marketing company, Filter Box Media wanted to see the event be more musically themed than Twestivals had been in the past. So, we invited some local artists to be guest DJs. Jason Bajada, Richmond Lam, TTC and MeilleurMusiqueduMonde.com (yes, that’s their name) were the ones who graciously lent their support to spin all night. And for all you Beatles Rock Band fans out there, we invited musicians Patrick Krief of Black Diamond Bay and Amanda Mabro to play with whoever else wanted to pretend to be the greatest band of all time.

The night was a blur of activity, an organizational feat far too big for just Filter Box Media to handle alone. That’s why we’d like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated volunteers. The night would not have been possible without you, and we’re very grateful for your energy and enthusiasm.

We’re equally grateful to our sponsors: Molson, Ice.com, Wildcard Clothing, College de Maisonneuve, Freshbooks, Indica Records, Greenland Productions, Pop Montreal, 33Mag, CJLO, Clever Cupcakes, Il Piatto Pieno, Terrafolia, Brazen Design, Furni, Bitchin’ Kitchen, Mitch Joel, PepperMaster, and Dallas Curow. The raffle would have been impossible without your generosity.

And let’s not forget our special guests. Many thanks to Valérie Roberts for MCing the night, to the guest DJs for supplying the music, and to the expert Beatles Rock Band performers for making the game that much more interesting.

Twestival Local Montreal garnished many press mentions across the web and also landed us our very first feature in our local newspaper, The Montreal Gazette.

Enjoy the photo slide show of the highlights of the night. For more photos check out the photo booth photos by Eva Blue and the event photos by Dallas Curow.