Online comic tycoons rile up readers for charity
By Lindsey Rivait
Arts Editor
November 28, 2007
 Since its inception in 2003, the Seattle-based gamer-run non-profit organization Child’s Play has raised over $2 million thanks to donations from geeks and gamers worldwide. The annual toy drive for children’s hospitals was created by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, better known as Gabe and Tycho in the online webcomic Penny Arcade, as a way to combat negative portrayals of gamers in the media.
“[Krahulik and Holkins] recognized that gaming culture was conscientious and well-motivated, and sought to mobilize the community for a good cause,” explains Kristin Lindsay, Project Manager for Child’s Play. The ever-growing organization aims to improve the lives of children in hospitals through donations of toys, movies and games.
“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 video games as a hobby,” writes Holkins on why they started Child’s Play.
By visiting childsplaycharity.org, users can click on a specific hospital to view their wish list from Amazon.com. When you buy a toy, movie, or game from the wish list, that item is then sent directly to that hospital.
“Some of these kids are in pretty bad shape,” writes Krahulik on the Child’s Play website. “Imagine being stuck alone in a hospital over the holidays, getting something from a fellow gamer would really raise their spirits.”
Some of the larger items, such as video game consoles, are kept at the hospitals for patients to use throughout the year. Other items are given to the kids as presents to take home.
But why focus on giving video games to these children? “Hospitals can be lonely, scary and desperate places for young people. Access to entertainment is very important for them. Video games are used to pass time, to distract from pain, and to provide some escapism. Video games are a welcome diversion and entertainment for many young patients and their families,” explains Lindsay.
In addition to toys, movies and games, the charity also receives donations of colouring books, art supplies, crafts, cartoons, and just about anything else a kid could ask for.
During its first year, Child’s Play teamed up with the Seattle Children’s Hospital and Amazon.com to help the 190,000 kids that the hospital treats each year. Packages were delivered directly to Krahulik and Holkins, who then delivered them to the Children’s Hospital themselves.
Gamers were so generous with their donations in 2003 that Krahulik and Holkins had to move to larger storage facilities three times.
“I don’t think that any of us considered that four years down the road, we would have almost 50 hospitals worldwide in our network, with donations exceeding $2 million since our inception. We continue to be deeply humbled as each year passes,” admits Lindsay. Child’s Play raised over $1 million in 2006 alone, a feat Lindsay hopes the charity can accomplish again this year.
Locally, the University’s Computer Science Society is organizing its own event to benefit Child’s Play. Last year, the group raised $300, which they matched for a grand total of $600. “Since our events have been getting more popular, with over 50 people in attendance at the last Google Pizza event, we hope to double that number this year and donate $1,200,” says CSS Vice President of Social Affairs, Patrick Gibson, who is organizing a movie marathon to help raise money. “Pizza and pop will be provided and there are usually ad-hoc wireless gaming sessions, card games, and more,” Gibson explains. The CSS’s Child’s Play fundraiser is happening December 4 at 5:30pm, location to be announced.
This year, Child’s Play has added more partner hospitals, including one in Montreal. “Also, we are working on ways to help smaller facilities and non-profit programs benefiting children,” says Lindsay.
For more information about Child’s Play, visit them online at http://www.childsplaycharity.org.
|
