The 2007 Blogathon is underway!

Stay up late, make a difference: that's the Blogathon's slogan and raison d'être. It's a charity drive that started when, on a whim, founder Cat Connor¹ stayed up all night blogging. The next year, she decided to do some good with the idea by inviting others and drumming up some sponsors -- hence "blogathon", by analogy with "walkathon", "telethon" and so on.

That was 2001, and about a hundred bloggers raised more than $20,000 for 77 different charities. Those numbers roughly doubled in 2002 and again in 2003 (500 bloggers, $100K). Project Blog took over in 2004 while the 'thon was on hiatus, and long-time blogathon ally Sheana Director stepped up and ran the 2005 event; Cat and Sheana have been running the 'thon together since then (with the help of an army of volunteers). The 2006 event saw about 300 bloggers raise about $100K, and if the data I've been collecting are anything to go by, the 'thon will be bigger than ever this year:

The mechanics are simple: bloggers sign up to blog for their chosen charity, and sponsors pledge either a lump sum or an amount per hour blogged. The goal is to blog for 24 hours straight, with one post every 30 minutes. The money part is an honor system: sponsors donate directly to the charity. There's a FAQ file and a forum where noobs can go for further answers and advice. The big day is Saturday, July 28; regular kick-off is 6:00 am Pacific, but if you're observing Sabbath or have other commitments, you can start at 9:00 pm Pacific.

Signups are now open for bloggers and sponsors -- so what are you waiting for?

¹My wife. I cannot tell you how proud I am.