4.03.2007 - 11:02am ET

(CSRwire) REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2007--Online social network Care2 and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History announced they are jointly hosting a new networked discussion board that unites jazz fans on different Web sites into one large conversation, as part of the Smithsonian's sixth annual Jazz Appreciation Month.

"Americans invented jazz, but it has become an international language that bridges cultures and brings together different types of people," said Brent D. Glass, director of the National Museum of American History. "So it is especially fitting that this new discussion board brings people from multiple Web communities together, for an inclusive conversation about the world's most inclusive music."

Participants in the unified online discussion throughout the month of April can join the conversation either from Care2's Web site at www.care2.com/c2c/group/smithsonianjazz or from the Smithsonian's site at www.smithsonianjazz.org. Special guest bloggers, including jazz musicians and leading jazz experts, will also participate during the month. In addition, a third and possibly fourth Web community may join the discussion, widening the circle of participants even further.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with the Smithsonian to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month," said Randy Paynter, founder and CEO of Care2. "This is a great showcase for jazz, as well as for our new discussion board tool that enables Care2's millions of culture-loving members to connect directly with the Smithsonian's own online music fans."

Care2 has tested its networked discussion board with several other nonprofit partners in recent months--including LinkTV, Oceana, Consumers Union, Earth Day Network and Defenders of Wildlife--enabling these organizations to gain instant critical mass in their online community efforts by leveraging Care2's large online membership of more than 6 million civically active people. Prior to the launch of Care2's networked discussion board, it was difficult to unify separate online conversations unless they were occurring on the same Web server.

About Care2

With more than 6 million members and 250 nonprofit partners, Care2 is the largest online social network of people interested in living a conscious and responsible lifestyle. Care2's culturally engaged members discover, share and take action each day on the causes and subjects that are shaping our world - environmental conservation, human rights, green living and more. Care2 provides information and services to help people make a difference including the most tips for living a greener life, the most popular online petition service to support nonprofit initiatives, and a forum for people with shared values to connect with one another. Care2 reaches the global community, but is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif. To learn more about how you can make a difference, visit www.care2.com.

About Jazz Appreciation Month ("JAM")

JAM was launched in 2001 by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and has since grown to include celebrations in all 50 states and 20 other countries. This year the Smithsonian will present a record 29 events, including five performances by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the museum's resident big band. In commemorating JAM 2007, the museum collaborated with a diverse group of 28 organizations, institutions, associations and federal agencies that have provided financial and in-kind support, as well as organizing programs and outreach of their own. The Smithsonian operates the world's most comprehensive set of jazz programs. The museum is home to incomparable jazz collections that include 100,000 pages of Duke Ellington's unpublished music and objects such as Ella Fitzgerald's famous red dress, Dizzy Gillespie's angled trumpet and Benny Goodman's clarinet. A complete schedule of JAM events is available at http://americanhistory.si.edu.


Copyright Business Wire 2007

For more information please contact: