Last week on Twitter there was a contest held by Blackberry and 50 lucky people got to attend the Launch Party here in Toronto along with 3 of their friends and each of the 50 guests of honor went home with a 32GB Blackberry Playbook.
I was lucky enough to be one of the 50 winners. I am a huge Blackberry fan and my Blackberry has always helped me stay productive and communicating just as I should be.
Tonight it was all about free food, free drinks, great music, mingling with friends and learning all about the playbook.
Let me just say if you are looking for a productive tablet the Blackberry Playbook is the one you want!
The head of the Enterprise for Blackberry(Shaun) walked me through the playbook and all of its security features. By tethering through the Blackberry Bridge your Blackberry phone becomes your web server thus no need to new internet protocols, I can see some IT departments loving that. One of the things I noticed was the amount of work you can actually get done on the tablet, definitely will make productivity a breeze.
As most of you are aware the Blackberry Playbooks has outstanding graphics and well when watching a video the quality was the best I have seen. I also played a game of Tetris (d0n’t get addicted, it will take away from your productivity) and it was easy to manipulate and have some fun.
Overall I do give the playbook a 4/5 as they still have a few things that are needed like more APPS, but we have to remember when the Ipad launched they didn’t have a huge selection out of the gate either. My wish though is for the Skype App, BBM, and one other chat app. Yes I am a big chatter!
Now you might be saying hey Hollie the title says Do you Want My Blackberry Playbook? Well I will be sending this Blackberry Playbook that I won to one of you. You might be saying huh? Why? Well I am a huge blackberry fan, and well really I would love to keep this playbook but as a Mom there is something I want even more.
I am hoping you will help me get what I want..
My daughter Rachel has never gone to a real summer camp besides 1 when she was 6. She is now 13. She would love to attend the Circus Camp down on the waterfront. Cost $465 for a two week summer camp experience. She would also like to go to Wonderland. Being a mom on a very strict budget I can not afford to either of these for her. To do both this summer I need $600. That is the magic figure. So I am giving up something I love for my daughter to have the summer she deserves.
Iam giving my playbook to somone who helps me get her to camp.
Rachel will thank you and so will I.
I am hoping I have the $600 by May 1st so we can plan her summer and get her registered. So can you help a Mom send her daughter to camp? and perhaps go home with my Blackberry Playbook? So do you want this? 
ALL funds needed have been raised $500 and 2 season passes from @UnMarketing.Thanks to all those who gave I can send Rachel to the more expensive even of the two week slots which costs $495 so my daredevil will be going to Circus Canp on the Toronto Waterfront. Thank you all for your support. Watch for the video of who wins in just a bit..
An Additional Note:
They say there is something called karma, sometimes I think blessings just come when you put things out in the universe. After posting this in the wee hours of Thursday as the day progressed two things happened that I want to share. I got a DM from someone who will remain nameless for now, lets just say I helped her get something she wanted last year. She has offered me and Rachel a day at Wonderland this summer on her.
Then the second thing that happened Sara from Urban Moms read my post and well she has friends in the Marketing Dept of Blackberry who I just happened to meet last night. Infact the one who emailed me tonight I had given her advice on how to save money as a young techie. It seems the team came and read my post today and were impressed by how I wanted to provide camp for Rachel. Well, I think they also noted last night how HUGE of a Blackberry fan I am. They stated in the email that they wanted me to use the one I won to give my daughter the camp experience but they also wanted me to have one to keep, so they are sending me a second Blackberry Playbook. How awesome is that!
Then this evening a third thing happened @unmarketing (Scott) sent a DM( a personal message on Twitter) asking for our full names and for me to humor him. Well 10 minutes later –2 seasons passes to Wonderland appeared in the my inbox. 
For those of you who don’t know Scott was one of the very first people I followed 2 years ago on Twitter, and I have been a huge fan of his since watching one of his many viral videos. So THANK YOU SCOTT!
and finally THE WINNER IS—
Jackie Yo won it!
How enterprising of you!
* A chance to win a Playbook = $10
* Helping your daughter go to camp =priceless
If I had a paypal account I would totally do it. I’ll have to ask hubby if he has one!
That’s me in the picture!!!
This is such a wonderful gesture Hollie! Good for you. You are a rockin momma!
Trina
BTW, just to let everyone know. It’s a 32 GB Playbook. Not a 16, so if you donate, you’re getting an awesome prize!
That is wonderful of you. You rock mommy! Lots of luck!
Neat idea! Is there any way to include a donation “meter” on this post so we know your progress?
Hey there! Your blog really moved me and I contacted a friend at RIM. They’d like to send you a playbook so you can keep the one you have AND auction one off!!! Email me your contact info and it’s shipped to you today!!! From one mom to another…:). Hope your daughter loves circus camp!
Great Idea Lisa, as you see at the bottom of the post I now have the tally going…thanks!
You’re welcome — all the better to help us rally for your cause!
What an awesome Mom you are!
Krista (@ksswansong)
What an awesome Momma you are and such a lucky girl. I’ve donated; I hope you will post about her camp experience later? I’d live to hear more about it. I’ve been eyeing these PlayBooks up; pretty great odds really; great idea!
Awesome Idea Hollie!! I’ll share the idea for sure.
would love to do this, but i don’t have a paypal account
Love the feel good feeling I got when I read this.
That camp sounds like so much fun!
email on its way to you Hollie ~ LOTS in common
okay, so I signed up for paypal and just sent
great idea
Hollie, I’m so impressed with you. So often we get a little swag, go home and enjoy it and that’s the end of it. What a fantastic mother you are to have figured out a way to help your daughter get what she wants and you couldn’t otherwise afford. Count me in. I have no doubt you’ll hit your target. Off to do my paypal. I don’t have a Blackberry and don’t need the Playbook (no need to count mine as entries) just happy to help.
Heather
What a wonderful idea! I had a credit in my paypal account and had been wondering what to do with it: helping to send your DD to camp is the answer.
That is wonderful news Hollie. I’m a full believer in karma! Excited to hear who won. This camp sounds fantastic btw; I wish we had exciting opportunities closer to home for my kids.
Congrats on the secon Blackberry Playbook,
What a fantastic end to the story!
How fantastic!! Congrats, Rachel, and have a blast at camp!! And Wonderland, too. In fact, have the best summer ever, ok?
I love all aspects of this story. My heart is going to burst. And I have a Playbook! And so do you! I’m SO glad RIM gave you one because I don’t think I would have been able to take yours!
[...] to camp and to take her to Canada’s Wonderland once this summer. You can read her post here. And her thank you post [...]
hello hollie i watched your website , rall it’s very sweet and i liked it , i wish we can talk sooner and see you ,because i missed you so much and i want tell you all inside my heart,I love all aspects of this story,Congrats on the secon Blackberry Playbook , i hope see you , bye ……..Adil / Morocco.
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Stumbled onto this link many man months later, but good for you that everything worked out so well! Always nice to hear a story with a happy ending!
That was supposed to read "many many months later". Not sure what a "many man months" is supposed to be..haha!