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Read more below.'Pimp This Bum' Web site raises money for homeless Houston man
09:24 PM CST on Saturday, March 7, 2009
The Associated Press
HOUSTON Until a few weeks ago, Tim Edwards was just another one of the homeless begging for change at a busy Houston underpass.
Now, thanks to an Internet marketing campaign, Edwards has become the human face of homelessness to thousands drawn to his Web site by its deliberately controversial name Pimp This Bum.
During regular webcasts, visitors to Pimp This Bum! ask questions about Edwards' life and his slow fall from office manager with a home, a car and a future to an outcast short of hope. Online viewers can donate money, services and goods to help Edwards yank himself out of homelessness.
This coming week, Edwards, 37, is scheduled to enter an alcohol detox program at the Seattle-based Sunray Treatment and Recovery, which is providing the $13,800, 35-day program free of charge. There are plans to air webcasts as Edwards goes through the program.
Some homeless advocates say the Web site makes Edwards a victim of exploitation, but the organizers say that edgy tone is what makes the project succeed.
