During the third week in July, Famboogle paid back to user Gail L for winning the Independence Day raffle,  during which Famboogle users entered local events and connected to them. Gail is the lucky winner of a $100 gift certificate to her favorite
Arlington restaurant.

Stay tuned for more, exciting chances to win - by simply participating
in Arlington's new online community.

To find out how to win the next $100 gift certificate, read below about the "Famboogle Independence Day" Raffle.

Adding events for others to see, to connect to and to attend has now been made easier on Famboogle. To promote your events here is what you want to do to get started:

1. Go to the "Add Event" page by clicking "add event" in the Events page, or by following this link. (You must be a registered user.)

2. Add an event that is of interest to the Arlington community. (Be sure its not already listed, duplications will be deleted.)

3. Connect to this event by clicking the "Make this a connection" Icon in the icon bar.

Starting July 4th, with each event that you added and that you are connected to, you will be entered into a raffle for a $100 gift certificate to your favorite Arlington restaurant - drawn on July 19. (Event info must be verifiable. Event dates must be between July 4th and August 31st 2008. Raffle ends July 18th at 11.59pm)

Launched in June

An estimated 100 people attended as organizers of Famboogle, an  Arlington-focused social-networking Web site was launched June 7 at the Regent Theatre. The evening featured musical performances by Arlington resident and Grammy-nominated recording artist and entertainer, Deborah Henson-Conant.

Arlington residents are encouraged to register at the site and begin making more Arlington connections.

The site had more than 160 registered users as of June 15, Lorenz said.

If you have already setup your profile, be sure to connect to other members to be entered into the raffle!

At the launch event, Leland Stein, manager of the Regent, asked about Famboogle's connection to local nonprofits, and Alex Lorenz, the founder of Famboogle, said:

"My commitment to the community is more than just words. Famboogle is a great platform for local nonprofits to reach out and promote their interests in the community, and to connect to its members. Beyond that, Famboogle generates income through the sale of local advertisement and -- in the future -- certain 'family tools.'

"Famboogle allows 10% of the user's generated revenue to be self-directed to a local non-profit or school of the user's choice."

In support of that, Pat Tassone, who has retired after 36 years education students in the Arlington public schools in fine arts, appeared on stage with Cheryl Hemenway Christo, director of the Madrigal Singers. He said he welcomes the possible revenue source Famboogle may provide to PAPA, the parent performing-arts group that helps Arlington High School.

Lorenz told his audience that he started the site because "our communities are challenged. Our lifestyles are challenged, and our environments are challenged.

"They are challenged by special interests, by rising oil prices, by reduced funding for the education of our children from local, in many areas by Home Depots and strip malls. ...

"I think there is a choice we can make, and with that choice comes an opportunity. We can either sit back and wait for someone to come rescue us. Or we can stand up and take action. And tonight, the Arlington community, here at the Regent has an opportunity to take action. You, the Arlington community can take action and decide to take Famboogle -- the startup initiative that is less than perfect -- to the next level, and to turn it into something meaningful and valuable for you and Arlington. 

"If you do it right, you can not only make a difference for Arlington, but for the villages towns and communities in the Boston area, and for the villages, towns and communities in the entire country."
 
In the runup to the launch event, several prominent local groups have pledged their support of Famboogle’s committee, including the Arlington Enrichment Collaborative, YourArlington.com and Sustainable Arlington, which is also backing Arlington’s participation in the Energy Smackdown, a yearlong competition to determine which community can achieve the largest reduction in its carbon footprint -- Arlington, Medford or Cambridge.

“Between today’s rising energy costs and concern about the environment, people are looking inward to their own communities’ resources to improve their lives,” says Ryan Katofsky of Sustainable Arlington. “Famboogle offers the opportunity to support ongoing community initiatives such as this.”

“One of the best ways to strengthen communities is for people, organizations and businesses to meet, to share ideas, to share resources, to discover and to learn about one another,” says Stein, Famboogle’s community liaison. “Our goal is to give local communities the tools to establish, maintain and grow stronger connections.”