LITweetup has teamed up with Panera Bread to host three food drive events to benefit Island Harvest - Long Island’s leading hunger relief organization – during the weekend of November 13th, 2009:

Friday 11/13: Panera Bread, Rockville Centre at 6:30-9:30pm
Saturday, 11/14: Panera Bread, Hampton Bays at 1-4pm
Sunday, 11/15: Panera Bread, Hauppauge at 1-4pm

“LITweetups to this point have been social gatherings. Twitter users attend the events all over the Island. With the added pressure that the economy has put on our neighbors, we decided it was time to use the brand to help out our fellow Long Islanders,” said Jeff Namnum, one of the Founders of LITweetup and an organizer of the food drive. A Tweetup is a face-to-face gathering of people who enjoy social networking and are connected on Twitter. The events will feature special guests such as Twitter Long Island All-Stars @emoltzen, @namnum, @nhltweetup, @dani3boyz, @MissBeckala, @LovelyLu @WordhamptonPR @TheShoeDawg @SteveHaweeli, @vividvisionspix and @SueannesJewelry. Tweeting is encouraged before, during and after the weekend!

During the events, LITweetup organizers will be collecting non-perishable food items and cash to be donated to Island Harvest. As an added incentive to donate, each Panera Bread location will offer a coupon towards the donator’s food order that day. Friday night’s event will take place at Panera Bread, 309 Merrick Rd., Rockville Centre, NY 11570 from 6:30pm-9:30pm Saturday’s event will take place at Panera Bread, 190 W. Montauk Hwy., Hampton Bays, NY 11946 from 1-4pm. Sunday’s event will take place at Panera Bread, 399 Smithtown Bypass, Hauppauge, NY 11788 from 1-4pm. Long Islanders are encouraged to donate non-perishable foods, supermarket gift cards or cash funds to help Island Harvest in its mission to end hunger on Long Island.