The auction dinner held in Seattle in December raised a total of $210,000. Highlights include an appearance in a Penny Arcade comic strip that went for $10,000 and a voiceover line in the upcoming Halo 3 videogame that raised $9,000.
“The game community has just been so amazing in its support,” said Penny Arcade’s Robert Khoo. “What started as a challenge to our community has grown into something that impacts the lives of children, and that’s something we can all be proud of.”
Through the Amazon wish lists of over 30 participating children’s hospitals more than $1 million in new items were purchased by donors to be used at hospitals on an ongoing basis or given as gifts to those spending their holiday sick in bed. Items ranged from books, Legos and Play Doh to full Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS game systems and included game titles such as Viva Piñata, Pac Man World Rally, and Madden NFL ’07, plus many popular DVD movies and much, much more. One hundred percent of proceeds from the purchase of Child’s Play t-shirts and cards through www.thinkgeek.com/pennyarcade also went towards the purchase of new games and other forms of entertainment for children.
The sold out $125 per plate fundraising dinner was emceed by the creators of Penny Arcade, Gabe and Tycho. More than 300 attendees bid on game- related auction items, secure in the knowledge that their contributions would go to bring smiles to the faces of children in hospitals across the globe.
Other auction highlights included:
- $4,000 for a trip for two to Iceland, including a tour of CCP Games
- $3,700 for a Nintendo Wii and DS combo pack signed by “Reggie” Fils-Aime
- $2,700 for a tour of the Penny Arcade studios
- $1,200 for a Microsoft Xbox 360 signed by J Allard
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 millions of 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.