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Annual Child's Play Charity Drive Begins
Many, many thanks to the gentlemen at Penny Arcade for the kickoff of their now annual Child's Play Charity Drive. The drive is intended to hook up willing people in our community with children's hospitals across the country, to spread some geeky christmas love to young folks that need it. This year the drive extends across the country, and you can donate toys to hospitals in Seattle, Oakland, San Diego, Houston, and D.C..
Tycho has a little startup post on Penny Arcade, as well.
It is entirely possible they already have copies of the game and simply need more bongos for multiplayer.
The bongos come with a copy of the game. (The game is bundled with the bongos). This is a little awkward in that if you are doing 4-players with the bongos, you've got 3 extra copies of the game.
I just hope they get accurate press. Last time around the press made a number of incorrect statements when commenting on them. They have a press page this year but it hardly provides enough information to make sure that sort of thing doesn't happen again. A complete press kit would have a bio on each of the principals, as complete a schedule as possible, contacts for more information (that much has been provided anyway) and basically anything else that you want the public to know. Their press page is extremely ungainly, for example at the top it says that "The mini interview below was answered by Tycho" but below where it asks who's involved the page says "Child's Play was started by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of the online comic strip Penny Arcade" which leaves you wondering (if you don't already know) who the hell Tycho is. If this is an example of the quality of work from BeSeen Communications then they deserve to fold up immediately. Integrated Solutions my ass.
With all that said, these guys clearly have their hearts and their heads in the right place, and putting out your own effort to help people is what charity is all about. Giving money (or material items) is just an extension of that, since money represents effort. I wish them all the luck in spite of their lack of media finesse :)
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Uhh, many of the requested Spanish items are books. Living in Tucson, AZ, I know very many people who speak English and Spanish fluently, but their parents or grandparents (first generation immigrants) speak only Spanish. It's probably aimed for situations like that, Spanish speaking parents (or bilingual volunteers) reading to their children.
Believe it or not, there are 100% legal US citizens who speak Spanish and use hospitals.
Click here for a free picture of an iPod!
"Offtopic"? Apparently irony is too subtle for some moderators. The link referred to the last "Child's Play" drive, in which the media underreported the money that they raised, and incorrectly attributed the charity to a local Catholic school, instead of to Penny Arcade. Gabe and Tycho were pissed.
They answer the question of why they need new stuff in their FAQ:
Q. Can I send you my old Super Nintendo?
A. We cannot accept used games or toys. These kids are real sick and we can't risk exposing them to germs that might be on your old toys. New stuff in the box is all we can take.
Also it just seems to make more sense to make a wish list. Why get 100 Good Night Moons when you only really need 20 to cover the demand and having 80 other books would make everyone a lot happier? Do you not let other people know what you may like for birthday and Christmas presents? I guess everyone should just give cash or gift certificates for everything. Where's the fun in that?