Charity is a weird thing. Organizations and hospitals depend on charitable donations to operate and do what they do, and meanwhile most of us just go on with our lives and assume someone “else” is doing it. A rich philanthropist must be keeping these organizations running, right? Well, yesterday I participated in something that proved that everyone can make a difference, we all just need to be prompted. The Extra Life day yesterday challenged gamers to play games for 24 hours, while asking for sponsorships. Gamers could organize into teams and choose which children’s hospital in the Children’s Miracle Network received their donations.
My work, Paragon Studios, put together a team and spent the day playing City of Heroes, D&D, League of Legends, Rock Band and Starcraft II among other games, all in the name of charity. At the end of the day Paragon raised over $7,000 (I said if we got over $5k I’d shave my beard, which I promptly did), and all of Extra Life raised over $1.1 million dollars! This was not simply a rich philanthropist but thousands and thousands of gamers and ordinary folk simply chipping in what they could. $5, $25, $100, $200, it all adds up people. You CAN make a difference in this world, my only wish is that we didn’t need to do “events” to call attention to these things.
If this message strikes a cord with you, then I am here to inform you that it’s not too late to donate. Simply click the “support me” button on this link. 100% of the funds raised go to the hospitals chosen by the teams, in this case, the Children’s Hospital & Research Center of Oakland.
That’s awesome. It’s unfortunate that medical costs are so high though – those companies are the ones that should be donating.
It’s too bad a lot of people don’t realize how little it takes to really help charities along. They think that unless they’re making huge donations of money, it’s not worth it, or they don’t have the time, or whatever.
Still, glad to see that you and Paragon stepped up to the plate – I still think if you guys raise $10k you should shave your head too and really go for resembling your namesake.
PS – it’s “strikes a chord”. Writer.