"Magnet Madness" invites Friendship Circle fans to post photos, win prizes

Friendship Circle, a not-for-profit organization that creates friendship in the lives of children and adults with special needs, will launch a social media challenge called “Magnet Madness” on Monday, November 1, 2010.

The Magnet Madness campaign is a free, interactive challenge housed on The Friendship Circle’s Facebook page, facebook.com/FCMichigan. The Friendship Circle is challenging their 17,500+ fans to capture pictures (or stage them) of The Friendship Circle magnet out and about in their local cities town. Twenty-five challenges will be revealed over the next week, detailing where each fan should capture a photograph of The Friendship Circle magnet on the Facebook page (example: Find three FC magnets, on three cars, parked next to each other). The first fan to complete each challenge by posting the correct picture to The Friendship Circle’s Facebook wall will win a prize.

The Friendship Circle of Michigan is well known for their 40,000+ purple magnets seen on cars around Metro Detroit. The goal of the “Magnet Madness” challenge is to “paint the town purple” with The Friendship Circle magnets. When supporters put a Friendship Circle magnet on their car (or anywhere else) they join an active, social movement that is working towards creating an inclusive society - a society that welcomes and advocates for all individuals regardless of their disabilities.

The “Magnet Madness” challenge is open to the public. Those interested can press “like” on The Friendship Circle’s Facebook fan page to compete and receive status updates regarding the challenge at facebook.com/FCMichigan. There is an informational tab on The Friendship Circle’s fan page with more details related to the campaign.

For additional information on Magnet Madness, please contact Lifetown Director Bassie Shemtov at (248)788-7878 ext. 212 or Bassie@FriendshipCircle.org.

Friendship Circle is a not-for-profit organization that creates friendship in the lives of children and adults with special needs. The organization’s unique method pairs individuals who have special needs with local teen volunteers. Through these friendships, the teens grow into socially responsible citizens, and the children and adults gain confidence through community inclusion. Friendship Circle’s facility, Ferber Kaufman LifeTown, gives individuals with special needs the chance to learn critical life skills in a realistic setting, thus improving their social, physical and cognitive skills.

In addition to helping individuals with special needs and their families, Friendship Circle touches people struggling with addiction, isolation and related crises. At the Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House, participants receive guidance in the form of recovery programs, referrals and supporting networks.

This year alone, Friendship Circle has extended its services to 3,000 families with special needs and 169 local schools from 50 school districts. Its Morrie & Sybil Fenkell Volunteer Club has grown to more than 900 community members. For additional information on Friendship Circle, please visit FriendshipCircle.org.