Boyung.com

As you may have noticed, I have replaced those Google ads at the top of most pages here with the banner for the Child's Play charity.  That means it's time for me to harass everyone that I know and anyone else that will listen, to get them to make a donation.  Child's Play was founded in 2003 by the guys from the webcomic Penny Arcade.  Basically, Mike and Jerry were absolutely disgusted by how video games and especially video game players were being blasted by the media as evil and unwanted.  So they got together with the Seattle Children's Hospital, set up a wish list on Amazon.com, and Child's Play was born.  In that first year, the charity collected over $100,000 in donations, all by gamers that wanted to show that they care.  For that first year, they actually had all of the items shipped to their office, to take it to the hospital all at once, and they actually had to rent warehouse space to store everything until that day.  Then they got some volunteers to help deliver everything to the hospital.

Since then, they have expanded each year, adding additional hospitals around the country and around the world.  They started having the items shipped directly to the hospitals, to reduce the need for that additional manual work.  Last year, they collected over $800,000 in donations for the various hospitals.  In four short years, this charity, which only really collects donations during the months of November and December, has raised over two million dollars in toys, games, books, movies, and cash donations (handled by PayPal) .  Visit this page of letters from former patients, parents, and others for some of the stories of how Child's Play has benefited both the patients and their families through the years.

So now, for the big question: why should you give your hard-earned money to Child's Play?  I've got several reasons for you, take your pick.  First of all, there are no administrative costs collected by those that run the charity.  Since most of the donations are handled via wish lists from Amazon.com and DStore.com.au, there is no middle-man with the organization to deliver the gifts.  The cash donations are handled by the guys running the charity, but they do not make anything whatsoever, they do this all on a volunteer basis.  Second, this charity is run by gamers, and for the most part, is run by gamers, so if you play video games at all, you know what our hobby has been put through in recent years.  Child's Play is an amazing story of good will and charity by our globe-spanning community.  Third, because of the way the charity is run, it doesn't matter how much you can afford to give, everyone can help out.  You can donate any amount you are able to in cash via PayPal, or you can buy something as simple as a package of batteries for the various toys, if that's all that you can afford to give.  Or you can give much more, it's totally up to you. 

Now, as for the most important reason why you should give to Child's Play; what better use of your money can there be than to brighten the day of a child stuck in a hospital, be it a patient or one of their siblings.  I highly doubt that there is one person out there that has not been affected by a children's hospital in one way or another, this is a great way to give back, knowing that the money will all go right where it should, to help the children there get better.  If you don't think that toys and games don't help children get better, or at least live better, then I really, truly feel sorry for you.  Maybe the best thing you can do for the charity is try to visit the hospital closest to you when these items are given out, and you'll know how wrong you are.  Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

One last thing, just as an incentive to get anyone out there to click on them, any money that I make via the ads on this site (Google ads at the bottom of the pages, Amazon referrals on the sidebar, anything else I come up with) between now and the end of the year, will be added to my normal donation to the charity.  In fact, I will go one step further, and double the amount that is earned.  So for every dollar I earn via ads, I will donate two dollars to Child's Play.  So if nothing else, just spend some time clicking the ads on my site, and you'll be helping the charity.