On Thursday, Twitter made its much-anticipated trading debut at the New York Stock Exchange. The social-media giant is trading under the ticker symbol “TWTR.” And when it came time to ring the opening bell, Twitter’s founders and CEO were joined by actor Patrick Stewart, Vivienne Harr (a 9-year-old girl who uses a lemonade stand to wage war on modern slavery), and Cheryl Fiandaca of the Boston Police Department.
Twitter tells Mother Jones that all three were chosen because they are awesome at Twitter. The company invited Stewart because the 73-year-old actor is pretty amazing at broadcasting his quirks and everyday life to his fans—shooting a bow and arrow, day trips, and more recently, this:
Fiandaca, as the bureau chief of public information for the Boston PD, was at the helm of the department’s social-media efforts following Boston Marathon bombing in April.
Suspect in custody. Officers sweeping the area. Stand by for further info.
— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) April 20, 2013
And Harr has used her account to raise awareness and promote her efforts against child slavery. Here’s a statement from her father Eric:
Children have been setting up lemonade stands since time immemorial. The difference with Vivienne’s is simple: Twitter. Without Twitter, Vivienne raises $100 and reaches our local community. With Twitter, she raises $100,000 and reaches a global community. Twitter helped her moment become a movement. We believe that Twitter makes good on the long-held promise that one person can change the world. That promise burns bright in the heart of a little girl with a big dream: that all children should be free.
