Orlando Does Not Go To Crazy Town Like Topeka and Duluth

The City of Orlando’s application to Google to be a test site for the company’s experimental ultra high speed internet network just got “super-charged” with a $100,000 commitment from one of Florida’s leading philanthropies. Good timing: the application is due Friday March 26, 2010.

The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, Inc. of Winter Park, Florida has committed up to $100,000 to help community nonprofits fully implement the ultra high speed internet network if Google selects Orlando.

This act of generosity is less ridiculous than the Mayor of Topeka, Kansas offering to change the name of his city to Google, Kansas. The Mayor of Duluth, Minnesota jumped into icy water. City staffers in Palo Alto, California danced to YMCA on video.

The City is reminding residents and businesses that Google wants to hear directly from them. They can let Google know that Orlando should be the company's choice by going to GetGoogling.com.

The Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation is well recognized for creating innovative civic solutions that help people help themselves. “For more than 36 years the Foundation has committed itself to ‘philanthropy beyond checkwriting,’ and it fully intends to do so with this grant,” said David A. Odahowski, President. The Foundation has asked a member of its Board of Directors, Matt Certo, to lead the Foundation’s effort to maximize the Google ultra high speed internet in the work of local nonprofit organizations. Matt is an internet entrepreneur, author and co-founder of Websolvers, Inc., one of the most well established and recognized interactive services firms in the southeastern United States.