Google joins with civil rights groups for high-tech inaugural ball

This week's presidential inauguration was a time of many firsts. One you may have missed on the mix was a high-tech ball sponsored by the Leadership Conference of Civil Rights (LCCR) and giant technology company Google, Inc.

Billed as a "a break from traditional inaugural balls," the gala occasion held Jan 20 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., and according to the LCCR website featured "laptop stations set up throughout the party enabled guests to contribute to five charities including DC Central Kitchen, One Economy, the Sunlight Foundation, Green for All, and LCCR. Google matched the donations received at the event." The event also provided Nintendo Wii video game consoles and other high tech devices for the entertainemnt and education of the guests.

The ball attracted politicos such as Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Google founder Larry Page and actors such as Ben Affleck, Glenn Close, John Cusack, and Jessica Alba.

The Leadership Conference for Civil Rights is a coalition of more than 200 civil rights, human rights and labor organizations and represents the coordinated struggle for civil rights in the U.S. Google, Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that focuses on software and web development.