Gamers Give Back!
Child's Play is a Seattle based, gamer-run organization that holds an annual toy drive for childrens' hospitals. Many of the gifts donated by gamers are, as you might imagine, age appropriate videogames and gaming systems - but they are by no means the only things donated. We received eager donations of coloring books, art supplies, crafts, movies, cartoons, virtually anything a young person could ask for. We asked the world-wide community of gamers, and they gave so much we had to move to larger storage facilities three separate times.
Over 3.5 million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children's hospitals across North America and the world have been collected since our inception.
More Details
Q: Who is behind Child's Play?
A: Child's Play was started by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of the online comic strip Penny Arcade, which concerns itself with videogames and gamer culture.
Q: Why did Penny-Arcade create Child's Play?
A: Giving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of toys to children in long-term care is its own reward. Past that, it's a way to show a different side of people who play videogames as a hobby.
Q: How does Child's Play work?
A: We have partnered with Amazon.com, which hosts a series of "Wish Lists" stocked with toys the hospitals have requested, as well as age appropriate videogames and game systems selected by Child's Play. Simply choose the hospital nearest you from our interactive map at Child's Play Charity and the toys you purchase will be delivered directly. We also accept cash donations via Paypal to childsplaycharity@penny-arcade.com, which will be used to buy additional equipment and split amongst the hospitals in this year's drive.
Q: Where can I find more information about Child's Play and its creators?
A: We welcome you to visit our online hub at Child's Play Charity. Take advantage of the interactive map, choose the town nearest you and give a gift.
A: Child's Play was started by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of the online comic strip Penny Arcade, which concerns itself with videogames and gamer culture.
Q: Why did Penny-Arcade create Child's Play?
A: Giving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of toys to children in long-term care is its own reward. Past that, it's a way to show a different side of people who play videogames as a hobby.
Q: How does Child's Play work?
A: We have partnered with Amazon.com, which hosts a series of "Wish Lists" stocked with toys the hospitals have requested, as well as age appropriate videogames and game systems selected by Child's Play. Simply choose the hospital nearest you from our interactive map at Child's Play Charity and the toys you purchase will be delivered directly. We also accept cash donations via Paypal to childsplaycharity@penny-arcade.com, which will be used to buy additional equipment and split amongst the hospitals in this year's drive.
Q: Where can I find more information about Child's Play and its creators?
A: We welcome you to visit our online hub at Child's Play Charity. Take advantage of the interactive map, choose the town nearest you and give a gift.
Recent News
12-18-08 Happy Holidays From Child's Play
We are very excited to be heading into the holiday home stretch with donations this week bringing out total up to $1,172,346! Many thanks to all our donors, including all of those who came to us through new sponsor gamerDNA's Community Contest. We also welcome JJGames to our sponsor list.
We're proud to announce the arrival of the Child's Play benefit CD. With all proceeds going to Child's Play, this offering from the biggest names in nerdcore is a great way to support our cause.
We've also added a number of new fundraisers to our Events Calendar, including the Christmas Vs. Hanukah Comedy Showdown happening on Friday night. If you are in the Brooklyn area, please stop by the comedy showdown, enjoy a hilarious evening and show your support.
We hope you all enjoy holidays filled with laugh, love and harmony. From all of us at Child's Play, thank you for your amazing generosity, and happy holidays!
12-12-08 Million Mark Surpassed!
We are very excited to announce that Child's Play broke the million dollar mark this week, with total donations for 2008 pushing up to $1,070,000. Contributing to this big boost was the annual Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction, which raised $200,000 itself and saw over 400 gamers and game industry leaders enjoy a formal evening in Seattle. We would like to thank everyone who attended, and made the event a runaway success.
We would also like to give a big thank you to Harmonix, who presented the current proceeds of the "PAX Pack" of Rock Band songs. The song pack is still available until the end of December, with all proceeds coming to Child's Play. Please download it, rock out, and show your support!
This week also saw a huge leap in Amazon donations for our partner hospitals, from donors such as yourself. Sincere thanks to everyone who took time to send a toy or a cash donation in this week for the kids, and thank you as well to the latest member of our sponsor family, Powerhead Games.
12-05-2008 Dinner Auction Next Week!
Donations jumped up to $720,895 this week, thanks to individual donors and new sponsors PopCap, Molly Rocket, Valve, Bungie, LoadingReadyRun, Sony Online Entertainment and Delicious Monster. We also saw truly epic support from the gaming community via Desert Bus for Hope 2, which raised almost $70,000 in donations that came directly to Child's Play. Thank you to everyone who supported us this week, we are so close to our annual goal!
Today is the last chance to buy tickets for our annual dinner auction. We will have some incredible items available for bidding, including:
* A mystery microwave from Harmonix
* A Halo 3 Master Chief helmet signed by Bungie, Roosterteeth and Penny Arcade staff
* A bronze-cast World of Warcraft statue of an orc and wolf mount, given exclusively to Blizzard Entertainment employees
* A mint-condition, limited edition Black Dreamcast autographed by former Sega President Peter Moore
* "The Sultan", a luxury heirloom furniture gaming table from www.geekchichq.com
Ticket sales close at 3 PM today (Friday)! We hope we'll see you there next Tuesday evening!
11-28-2008 Happy Thanksgiving!
With our total donations hitting $560,000 this week, we have a lot to be thankful for! Thank you very much to all the donors who sat down over the holidays, and made the decision to do something positive in their communities under the Child's Play banner. Your support is greatly appreciated! We'd also like to thank our new sponsors this week, Ventrilo and Hothead Games.
Tickets for our annual Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction will only be available until Friday, Dec. 5th, so please grab them if you'd like to attend. Unique and incredible item donations have been pouring in, and the dinner will also be the first opportunity to pick up an advanced copy of a special nerdcore CD to benefit Child's Play. With acts such as The OneUps, MC Frontalot, Jonathan Coulton, Freezpop and the Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, this is a special way to support the cause!
We are very excited to be heading into the holiday home stretch with donations this week bringing out total up to $1,172,346! Many thanks to all our donors, including all of those who came to us through new sponsor gamerDNA's Community Contest. We also welcome JJGames to our sponsor list.
We're proud to announce the arrival of the Child's Play benefit CD. With all proceeds going to Child's Play, this offering from the biggest names in nerdcore is a great way to support our cause.
We've also added a number of new fundraisers to our Events Calendar, including the Christmas Vs. Hanukah Comedy Showdown happening on Friday night. If you are in the Brooklyn area, please stop by the comedy showdown, enjoy a hilarious evening and show your support.
We hope you all enjoy holidays filled with laugh, love and harmony. From all of us at Child's Play, thank you for your amazing generosity, and happy holidays!
12-12-08 Million Mark Surpassed!
We are very excited to announce that Child's Play broke the million dollar mark this week, with total donations for 2008 pushing up to $1,070,000. Contributing to this big boost was the annual Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction, which raised $200,000 itself and saw over 400 gamers and game industry leaders enjoy a formal evening in Seattle. We would like to thank everyone who attended, and made the event a runaway success.
We would also like to give a big thank you to Harmonix, who presented the current proceeds of the "PAX Pack" of Rock Band songs. The song pack is still available until the end of December, with all proceeds coming to Child's Play. Please download it, rock out, and show your support!
This week also saw a huge leap in Amazon donations for our partner hospitals, from donors such as yourself. Sincere thanks to everyone who took time to send a toy or a cash donation in this week for the kids, and thank you as well to the latest member of our sponsor family, Powerhead Games.
12-05-2008 Dinner Auction Next Week!
Donations jumped up to $720,895 this week, thanks to individual donors and new sponsors PopCap, Molly Rocket, Valve, Bungie, LoadingReadyRun, Sony Online Entertainment and Delicious Monster. We also saw truly epic support from the gaming community via Desert Bus for Hope 2, which raised almost $70,000 in donations that came directly to Child's Play. Thank you to everyone who supported us this week, we are so close to our annual goal!
Today is the last chance to buy tickets for our annual dinner auction. We will have some incredible items available for bidding, including:
* A mystery microwave from Harmonix
* A Halo 3 Master Chief helmet signed by Bungie, Roosterteeth and Penny Arcade staff
* A bronze-cast World of Warcraft statue of an orc and wolf mount, given exclusively to Blizzard Entertainment employees
* A mint-condition, limited edition Black Dreamcast autographed by former Sega President Peter Moore
* "The Sultan", a luxury heirloom furniture gaming table from www.geekchichq.com
Ticket sales close at 3 PM today (Friday)! We hope we'll see you there next Tuesday evening!
11-28-2008 Happy Thanksgiving!
With our total donations hitting $560,000 this week, we have a lot to be thankful for! Thank you very much to all the donors who sat down over the holidays, and made the decision to do something positive in their communities under the Child's Play banner. Your support is greatly appreciated! We'd also like to thank our new sponsors this week, Ventrilo and Hothead Games.
Tickets for our annual Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction will only be available until Friday, Dec. 5th, so please grab them if you'd like to attend. Unique and incredible item donations have been pouring in, and the dinner will also be the first opportunity to pick up an advanced copy of a special nerdcore CD to benefit Child's Play. With acts such as The OneUps, MC Frontalot, Jonathan Coulton, Freezpop and the Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, this is a special way to support the cause!
Make a Difference in a Child's Life Today!
Go to the official Child's Play Charity website and find a hospital near you to support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does Child's Play charge administrative fees?
A. We try our best to have every dollar that comes in go right back to the hospitals, but there is a slight administrative cost that does get paid for with donations (for example, shipping $200,000 worth of Nintendo DS' to dozens of hospitals worldwide is not free, sadly). Historically, these charges have not exceeded 2-3%. It's true that we're a non-profit, but unlike most non-profits, we're not in it to create a self-sustainable entity. We do it to give.
Q. Should I have my item gift wrapped by Amazon?
A. The hospitals have asked that the items not be wrapped. It just generates a lot of waste that costs money to get rid of.
Q. Can I send you my old Super Nintendo?
A. Unfortunately, we can't donate used items directly to the hospitals. However, we're a registered eBay Giving Works charity, you can sell items on eBay and have the proceeds benefit Child's Play! When you begin the listing process, there is an option when you're setting the price to select a non-profit to benefit. A simple search for "Child's Play" will turn us up. eBay will ask you to register for a MissionFish account, but it's straight forward. You'll need a credit card to complete the process. Please read through eBay's Giving Works website for more information at http://givingworks.ebay.com, so you that understand how you will be billed when the item is sold. You could sell pretty much anything to help sick kids!
Q. How long do I have to purchase a toy?
A. Please be mindful of the shipping dates when you're purchasing items from the wish list. In order to make sure that they get to the kids for the holidays, the hospitals would like to receive everything by December 20th. We accept cash donations year round that we send out to the hospitals at the end of the annual toy drive.
Q. How come there aren't any stuffed animals on the wish lists?
A. We cannot accept any stuffed animals. The hospitals tell us that these sorts of toys collect germs and aren't good for the kids.
Q. How will these toys be used?
A. Items like the videogame systems and games will be given to the hospitals and a child will essentially be able to check it out and have it placed in their room. Obviously the more systems and copies of each game they have the better. Other toys though will be given to individual children as presents. Something they can keep and take with them when they leave.
Q: I want to volunteer! How can I help?
A: In our first year, we needed volunteers because we shipped everything to our own address. This year we've set up the wish lists so orders go directly to the hospitals. If you want to help out please contact the hospital directly (call the general number and ask about volunteering). If you don't live near one of the hospitals, then you can be a big help by contacting your local news agencies and asking them to do a story about Child's Play. The more people that hear about it, the more donations for the kids.
Q: Can you include my local hospital in Child's Play?
A: Possibly! The ideal new hospital is far from other hospitals since we'd like to get even coverage, and not duplicate effort. If you want your local hospital to get involved then contact it, evangelize Child's Play, and ask someone in charge of fundraising or donations to email klindsay@penny-arcade.com.
Q: Since this is a charity donation I can deduct it from my taxes, right?
A: Each hospital's charity tax ID number is included in the information section on its wish list. Use your confirmation email as a receipt. If you are making a cash donation, Child's Play's own tax ID number is 20-3584556. If you have any questions about how this works, please ask your tax advisor.
Q: I'm a corporation. How can I help?
A: Contact Kristin Lindsay (klindsay@penny-arcade.com). You can donate gifts, cash, or traffic, and as an extra thank-you we'll recognize you on this page as well as on Penny-Arcade.com. We have corporate sponsorship levels we can discuss with you.
Q: I'm a media person. Can I write a story about Child's Play?
A: Yes! Contact Kristin Lindsay (klindsay@penny-arcade.com) and we'll help with your positive videogame human-interest story.
Q: I'm a children's hospital. Can I get involved with Child's Play?
A: Yes! Contact Kristin Lindsay (klindsay@penny-arcade.com) and we'll introduce you to our program and enrollment process. It's very simple, and we can add you very easily.
Q: What's the full story of how Child's Play came about?
A: We've posted the original Child's Play announcement below. You can see how much we've grown since then!
Gabe's original Child's Play post 11/24/03
If you are like me, every time you see an article like this one, where the author claims that video games are training our nations youth to kill you get angry. The media seems intent on perpetuating the myth that gamers are ticking time bombs just waiting to go off. I know for a fact that gamers are good people. I have had the opportunity on multiple occasions to meet hundreds of you at conventions all over the country. We are just regular people who happen to love video games. With that in mind we have put together a little something we like to call "Child's Play". Penny Arcade is working with the Seattle Children's Hospital and Amazon.com to make this Christmas really special for a lot of very sick kids. With the help of the Children's Hospital we have created an Amazon Wish List for the kids. It's full of video games, movies and toys. Some of these kids are in pretty bad shape and just having a Game Boy would really raise their spirits.
Please take some time to browse the Wish List. Maybe all you can afford is a package of batteries or maybe you want to go in with your entire office and get the kids a GameCube. Every single contribution will help out the Children's Hospital and the 190,000 kids they treat each year.
All the toys and games will be delivered to us and we will in turn deliver them to the Children's Hospital. As soon as the toys start arriving I'll set up a web site and post as many pictures as I can. We will be making a trip over to one of the hospitals next week and we'll bring you back stories from some of the kids along with more pictures.
Penny Arcade has a readership of something like 4.5 million gamers across the world. We are arguably the largest community of gamers on the internet. The important word there being community. This isn't IGN, this isn't Gamespy, we are not a faceless corporation, you are not just a number tracked by a database and then relayed to hungry advertisers. You guys have proven yourselves to be a powerful force when stirred into action. Here is your opportunity to use that power to do some real good.
Let's give these kids the Christmas that they deserve and let's give the news papers a different kind of story to write about gamers.
A. We try our best to have every dollar that comes in go right back to the hospitals, but there is a slight administrative cost that does get paid for with donations (for example, shipping $200,000 worth of Nintendo DS' to dozens of hospitals worldwide is not free, sadly). Historically, these charges have not exceeded 2-3%. It's true that we're a non-profit, but unlike most non-profits, we're not in it to create a self-sustainable entity. We do it to give.
Q. Should I have my item gift wrapped by Amazon?
A. The hospitals have asked that the items not be wrapped. It just generates a lot of waste that costs money to get rid of.
Q. Can I send you my old Super Nintendo?
A. Unfortunately, we can't donate used items directly to the hospitals. However, we're a registered eBay Giving Works charity, you can sell items on eBay and have the proceeds benefit Child's Play! When you begin the listing process, there is an option when you're setting the price to select a non-profit to benefit. A simple search for "Child's Play" will turn us up. eBay will ask you to register for a MissionFish account, but it's straight forward. You'll need a credit card to complete the process. Please read through eBay's Giving Works website for more information at http://givingworks.ebay.com, so you that understand how you will be billed when the item is sold. You could sell pretty much anything to help sick kids!
Q. How long do I have to purchase a toy?
A. Please be mindful of the shipping dates when you're purchasing items from the wish list. In order to make sure that they get to the kids for the holidays, the hospitals would like to receive everything by December 20th. We accept cash donations year round that we send out to the hospitals at the end of the annual toy drive.
Q. How come there aren't any stuffed animals on the wish lists?
A. We cannot accept any stuffed animals. The hospitals tell us that these sorts of toys collect germs and aren't good for the kids.
Q. How will these toys be used?
A. Items like the videogame systems and games will be given to the hospitals and a child will essentially be able to check it out and have it placed in their room. Obviously the more systems and copies of each game they have the better. Other toys though will be given to individual children as presents. Something they can keep and take with them when they leave.
Q: I want to volunteer! How can I help?
A: In our first year, we needed volunteers because we shipped everything to our own address. This year we've set up the wish lists so orders go directly to the hospitals. If you want to help out please contact the hospital directly (call the general number and ask about volunteering). If you don't live near one of the hospitals, then you can be a big help by contacting your local news agencies and asking them to do a story about Child's Play. The more people that hear about it, the more donations for the kids.
Q: Can you include my local hospital in Child's Play?
A: Possibly! The ideal new hospital is far from other hospitals since we'd like to get even coverage, and not duplicate effort. If you want your local hospital to get involved then contact it, evangelize Child's Play, and ask someone in charge of fundraising or donations to email klindsay@penny-arcade.com.
Q: Since this is a charity donation I can deduct it from my taxes, right?
A: Each hospital's charity tax ID number is included in the information section on its wish list. Use your confirmation email as a receipt. If you are making a cash donation, Child's Play's own tax ID number is 20-3584556. If you have any questions about how this works, please ask your tax advisor.
Q: I'm a corporation. How can I help?
A: Contact Kristin Lindsay (klindsay@penny-arcade.com). You can donate gifts, cash, or traffic, and as an extra thank-you we'll recognize you on this page as well as on Penny-Arcade.com. We have corporate sponsorship levels we can discuss with you.
Q: I'm a media person. Can I write a story about Child's Play?
A: Yes! Contact Kristin Lindsay (klindsay@penny-arcade.com) and we'll help with your positive videogame human-interest story.
Q: I'm a children's hospital. Can I get involved with Child's Play?
A: Yes! Contact Kristin Lindsay (klindsay@penny-arcade.com) and we'll introduce you to our program and enrollment process. It's very simple, and we can add you very easily.
Q: What's the full story of how Child's Play came about?
A: We've posted the original Child's Play announcement below. You can see how much we've grown since then!
Gabe's original Child's Play post 11/24/03
If you are like me, every time you see an article like this one, where the author claims that video games are training our nations youth to kill you get angry. The media seems intent on perpetuating the myth that gamers are ticking time bombs just waiting to go off. I know for a fact that gamers are good people. I have had the opportunity on multiple occasions to meet hundreds of you at conventions all over the country. We are just regular people who happen to love video games. With that in mind we have put together a little something we like to call "Child's Play". Penny Arcade is working with the Seattle Children's Hospital and Amazon.com to make this Christmas really special for a lot of very sick kids. With the help of the Children's Hospital we have created an Amazon Wish List for the kids. It's full of video games, movies and toys. Some of these kids are in pretty bad shape and just having a Game Boy would really raise their spirits.
Please take some time to browse the Wish List. Maybe all you can afford is a package of batteries or maybe you want to go in with your entire office and get the kids a GameCube. Every single contribution will help out the Children's Hospital and the 190,000 kids they treat each year.
All the toys and games will be delivered to us and we will in turn deliver them to the Children's Hospital. As soon as the toys start arriving I'll set up a web site and post as many pictures as I can. We will be making a trip over to one of the hospitals next week and we'll bring you back stories from some of the kids along with more pictures.
Penny Arcade has a readership of something like 4.5 million gamers across the world. We are arguably the largest community of gamers on the internet. The important word there being community. This isn't IGN, this isn't Gamespy, we are not a faceless corporation, you are not just a number tracked by a database and then relayed to hungry advertisers. You guys have proven yourselves to be a powerful force when stirred into action. Here is your opportunity to use that power to do some real good.
Let's give these kids the Christmas that they deserve and let's give the news papers a different kind of story to write about gamers.
Letters
Former Patients, Parents of Formet Patients, Volunteers and Contributors in their own words
Former Patients:
Matt Merner
Vicki Sherrouse
Marshall Andersen
Jenn Keast
Nathaniel 'Bendery' Jordan-sikos
Parents of Former Patients:
Alan
Father
Volunteers:
Collen James Bigard
Contributors:
Zach Waske
Matt Merner
Vicki Sherrouse
Marshall Andersen
Jenn Keast
Nathaniel 'Bendery' Jordan-sikos
Parents of Former Patients:
Alan
Father
Volunteers:
Collen James Bigard
Contributors:
Zach Waske
by Chris_Carpinello
Secure software development, network and information security, gaming, friends and family are my passions.
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