Videogames Support Children's Hospitals

With Christmas just around the corner, the videogame industry is working with Children's Hospitals around the world to donate games to kids who are sick in bed. There's not yet a North Carolina hospital on board, but new hospitals are welcome to join in by contacting ChildsPlayCharity.org. With the number of local game companies in the area, it shouldn't be hard to equip a children's hospital in the area with games.

More than $495,000 worth of toys, games and books on the wish lists of more than 35 participating children’s hospitals have already been purchased as part of the gamer supported charity, Child’s Play. This week, the Child’s Play charity auction dinner in Seattle, Washington on December 13 is expected to enable the purchase of more games for sick children as attendees bid on rare and hard to get items including a new Nintendo Wii game system autographed by the company’s President and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, a speaking line in the "Halo 3" videogame under development by Bungie Entertainment, a Sony PlayStation 3 and an appearance in a Penny Arcade comic strip. Anyone can go online and donate money to this very good cause.

The charity work is the result of Penny Arcade, best known for its videogame comic strip, as well as its annual videogame show in Seattle. The group has reached out to hospitals across the world, including Children's Hospital of New Orleans, Methodist Children's Hospital of South Texas, Tulane Hospital for Children, Carilion Hospital for Children, Legacy Emanuel Children's Hospital, BC Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center, Women and Children's Hospital of Buffalo, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Children's Hospital of Boston and Children's Hospital of Michigan as well as Mater Health and Sydney Randwick Children's Hospital in Australia.

Child’s Play is a non-profit organization begun in 2003 by Gabe and Tycho, the creators of the Penny Arcade comic strip, as a way to help sick children and show the world the softer side of people who play videogames. Through the generosity of gamers and the videogame industry, Child’s Play has raised over 1.5 million dollars in toys, games and cash for sick children through an ongoing online toy drive and annual charity auction. Now in its fourth year, Child’s Play is developing a worldwide network of beneficiary Children’s Hospitals in order to brighten hospital stays for children internationally.

The organization is also looking for volunteers and reporters from high schools and colleges to get involved with local hospitals to reach new kids, as well as gain support for new gamers to donate time, games or money for this cause. In a day and age when the mainstream media only focuses on negative games stories, this is a great cause.