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Industry Professionals, Gaming Enthusiasts and Families Unite Through New-Found Rallying Point

Struggling on your own with a rare disease can be an isolating experience – just ask Jennifer Nelson, whose son suffers from hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 2, an unusual neurological disorder that frequently necessitates limb amputation as the condition advances. She is one of the millions of Americans affected by orphan diseases and one of the hundreds of people worldwide who have been brought together by Donate Games.

Donate Games is a new charity dedicated to funding research and support for those affected by rare and neglected diseases through the collection and resale of new and used video game donations. Since its founding in February, Donate Games has already connected industry professionals, gaming enthusiasts and families like the Nelsons, forging a new support network and sense of global community.

“As the parent of a kid with a rare disorder, I need other parents’ support and that’s where Donate Games has the power to change lives, by connecting families of kids with rare disorders to one another to share our fears, our hopes and our dreams,” said Nelson. “I am grateful for the willingness of Donate Games to go where no other organization has to help people like me.”

The gaming charity has also played a role in rallying the worldwide community of players of the “City of Heroes” massively-multiplayer online (MMO) game. Joel and Karen Garcia, a gaming couple and two dedicated “City of Heroes” community leaders, are running an MMO-themed donation drive at www.RealWorldhero.com for gaming-oriented charities now through Jan. 1, 2010. Donate Games was selected as one of the benefiting organizations through co-founder Karen Garcia’s personal experience with a gaming friend, named Stephen, who died recently from two rare forms of cancer.

“Our launch date for RealWorldHero.com turned out to be the same day we buried Stephen, which was heartbreaking,” said Garcia. “But I know that he would have been excited about people getting involved. We are very proud to have Donate Games as one of our charities on RealWorldHero.com.”

Donate Games has also drawn the attention of Canadian interactive software publisher Meridian4, which recently contributed 750 pounds of its boxed titles for resale through Donate Games.

“The three directors at Meridian4 all have children and we know how devastating it would be if they were afflicted with a debilitating or fatal disease,” said Steve Milburn, director of marketing at Meridian4. “This is a terrific idea and we hope that other gaming companies and gamers will get involved.”

To join this rapidly-growing community committed to saving lives, one video game at a time, visit www.DonateGames.org.

To become a fan of DonateGames.org on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/DonateGamesorg/112805304252.

Videogame Distributor Donates Percentage to Kids in Need Foundation Helping

Provide Free School Supplies to Impoverished Children

Innex, a major distributor of videogame peripherals and accessories, today announced that it has signed a cause marketing license agreement with the KIDS IN NEED FOUNDATION. Marathon Projects Ltd, the licensing agency for the Kids In Need Foundation negotiated the transaction. This will be the latest partnership agreement under the Kids In Need Foundation cause licensing program.

Believing that the meaning of success is the ability to help others, Innex, Inc. has announced that it will donate a percentage of its sales revenue to the KIDS IN NEED FOUNDATION, a charity that provides free school supplies to impoverished children. Moving forward, Innex will allocate a portion of all revenue, including sales of its exclusive brands (Komodo, Retro-Bit, Exo-Flex) to KIDS IN NEED.

Innex was established by Titi and Joey Ngoy, brothers whose family fled to a Thai Refugee Camp from Cambodia in 1979 while the country was suffering from violent revolution and extreme poverty inflicted by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Titi and Joey’s parents arrived in America with nothing, but managed, through hard work, to provide their children with the education necessary to prosper.

“Through our own family experience, we are very aware of the importance of an education and the difficulties faced by impoverished children,” stated Titi Ngoy, President of Innex. “Teaming up with KIDS IN NEED offers us the opportunity to make a contribution to a charity that is near to our heart and will hopefully make a difference in the lives of kids who need an extra hand getting ahead.”

David Smith, Executive Director of the KIDS IN NEED FOUNDATION stated, “KIDS IN NEED is very excited to partner with Innex since videogames are an important part of our youth’s culture. To be able to integrate Innex’s videogame peripheral and accessory program with KIDS IN NEED has fundamental appeal for both companies and helps strengthen KIDS IN NEED’S mission to provide school supplies for more children who need them.

Research shows that when children are provided with basic school supplies their grades go up, their confidence increases and their attitude toward learning improves. KIDS IN NEED is the number 1 charity focused on America’s under-funded educational system. KIDS IN NEED provides free school supplies to impoverished children as well as curriculum grants to under-funded teachers.

About Kids In Need Foundation

The Kids In Need Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1995. The Foundation’s mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need. The Kids in Need National Network of Resource Centers includes 23 facilities that allow teachers from low-income schools to obtain free school supplies for their students. In addition, Kids In Need Teacher Grants provide K-12 educators with funding to provide innovative learning opportunities for students. The Kids in Need Foundation has distributed nearly $300 million in school supplies since its founding, directly benefiting 1.6 million students and 100,000 teachers annually, and has awarded $1 million in grants to teachers. The Kids In Need Foundation has received Charity Navigator’s highest four-star rating, indicating that it executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way and outperforms most other charities in America. For more information, visit www.kinf.org. Follow Kids In Need on Twitter, http://twitter.com/kidsinneed

The Charity Event Runs Now Through May 14th on the Sasori Course in the Popular Shot-Online MMO Golf Simulation Game

San Jose-based online game publisher, Gamescampus.com (www.gamescampus.com, run by OnNet USA), today announced the second annual online ALS Charity Tournament for its popular MMO golf simulation game, Shot-Online. The memorial event has been held annually since 2006 to remember a Shot-Online player who passed away from ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

The GamesCampus ALS Charity Tournament is underway and will run through May 14th on the Shot-Online Sasori golf course. Players of any skill level are welcome to join the charity event. GamesCampus will donate $1 for every player who completes the entire 18-hole Sasori course in the Shot-Online game. GamesCampus will also waive the green fees for all participants. All proceeds from the tournament will be donated to the Driving 4 Life organization to benefit its ALS Therapy Development Institute and ALS research efforts.

“We are pleased to announce our annual event for this great cause and proud to provide all proceeds from the tournament to the Driving 4 Life organization to help raise awareness and cure ALS,” said Tony Liu, Producer of Shot Online. “We encourage all Shot-Online players as well as their friends and family members to take part in this special event which is for such a great cause.”

Donate Games Launches, Now Accepting Your Used Video Games

Are you tired of trading in your used games at retail stores for pennies on the dollar? Are you looking for a new site to purchase used games at low prices? Do you want to help change the lives of people around the world? The new gaming charity Donate Games opened its doors today and if you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it needs your help.

An orphan disease is a rare disease affecting less than .05% of the world’s population, typically genetic in origin and either life-threatening or chronically debilitating. Because of their rarity, orphan diseases are often overlooked for funding and public support.

Donate Games is a new charity dedicated to funding research for orphan diseases and supporting those affected by them through the donation and resale of used video games. In addition to raising funds for research on these rare disorders, Donate Games will promote awareness and provide advisory services to the general public.

Donate Games was conceived by IT industry veteran Jim Carol and his wife Cynthia after their son’s diagnosis with a rare form of leukemia, called Philadelphia Chromosome, in 2006, now in remission. “We were lucky,” said Carol. “Treatments and community support really made a difference for him. But, we met others at the treatment centers that had little hope, suffering from even rarer life-threatening conditions, without research funding, effective treatments or support networks. By launching Donate Games and connecting with the vibrant gaming community so near and dear to my own professional background, now we can help them, too.”

“Gamers already have an amazing capacity to give,” adds Josh Sommer, a spokesman for Donate Games and founder of the Chordoma Foundation, one of the benefiting organizations of the new charity. “All we’re really doing is making it as easy as possible for gamers to support others and get funding to those who so desperately need it. Donate games, buy games, save lives – it’s that simple.”

For more information about Donate Games, volunteer opportunities or to donate used games, visit www.DonateGames.org.

For anyone wanting to support this cause by running an auction, ChaseTheChuckwagon.com waives all auction fees. In addition, charity auctions run for 30-days to extend the bidding window, while also bringing more exposure to the charity. And even though the Child s Play Charity is the official website charity, members can run auctions in support of any other charity of their choice while paying no auction fees whatsoever.

Starting January 1st, 2008, ChaseTheChuckwagon.com is running their first Child’s Play Charity Auction. This auction is for an autographed copy of Super Fighter Team’s exclusive Sega Genesis title, Beggar Prince. This item was graciously donated by Mr. Brandon Cobb, President of SFT. Here is a link to this auction:

http://www.chasethechuckwagon.com/item.cgi?show_item=0000056144

For information about donating an item to auction off for this cause, please email:socalmike@chasethechuckwagon.com.

ChaseTheChuckwagon.com was launched on March 24th, 2008 and has quickly become a significant destination for buying and selling classic and modern video games.

http://www.ChildsPlayCharity.com
http://www.ChaseTheChuckwagon.com

Gamescampus.com reaches out to children in need

Shot Online Hosts Holiday Charity Event with all Proceeds going to the SOS Children’s Village Organization

San Jose-based online game publisher, GamesCampus (www.GamesCampus.com, run by OnNet USA), announced today that it is hosting a special in-game holiday charity event through its game Shot Online. In the true spirit of the holidays, GamesCampus will donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of two custom in-game Shot Online golf items to children in need through the SOS Children’s Village organization.

SOS Children’s Village is an international non-government, social development organization that has been active in the field of children’s rights and committed to children’s needs and concerns since 1949. In 132 countries and territories worldwide, their activities focus on children without parental care and children of families in difficult circumstances.

“During this rough economy we are glad that Shot Online’s donations will be able to help children in need,” said David Chang, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for GamesCampus.com. “We invite our players to come and join in this season of giving, while also enjoying some special offers and gifts from GamesCampus as a way of wishing everyone a peaceful and happy holiday season.”

From December 22 through December 28, 2008, players will be able to make donations to the SOS Children’s Village by purchasing SOS Children’s Village golf balls and Children Love t-shirts for $1.00 each from the game’s item mall. Both the t-shirts and golf balls are specially marked with the SOS Children’s Village logo and in-game characters can actually wear the t-shirts and play Shot Online with the special golf balls. All of the proceeds from the charity event will be donated to the SOS Children’s Village by Gamescampus.com.

Players who purchase both the SOS Children’s Village game balls and Children Love t-shirts will also qualify for a special drawing for additional prizes. One lucky winner will receive exclusive adaptable clothing set including shirt, pants and a hat. One hundred additional winners will also receive three lucky mystery prize boxes.

In addition to the Shot Online charity event, GamesCampus is hosting several other holiday promotions for players of Shot Online and its MMORPG, Asda Story.

First time Buyers Promotion
Players who have not previously purchased items from the GamesCampus Item Mall will qualify for this unusual promotion. GamesCampus is offering special prizes for players of Shot Online and Asda Story who buy an item for the first time at the Item Mall. All first time Shot Online buyers will receive an Amateur Pack with a value of $48.00. The Amateur Pack includes a full set of clubs, power-ups and balls (http://shotonline.GamesCampus.com/board/view.asp?bid=ev&num=680). All first-time Asda Story buyers will receive a one hour EXP potion. In addition to these prizes; players can also receive valuable in-game items through the GamesCampus Holiday Raffle.

Asda Story Offers and Events
Asda Story players can purchase rare items including a special Christmas sled and costumes. In addition, Asda Story will host spirited Holiday events including the Double Drop Rate, XP event and Christmas Crafting event where players can receive special gifts. For more information, please visit www.asdastory.gamescampus.com.

For more information about GamesCampus, its games and all of the special holiday events visit
http://www.GamesCampus.com/help/news_view.asp?serial=90

CAMBRIDGE, MA – December 8, 2008 – GamerDNA.com has kicked off a new contest amongst leading online communities in partnership with Child’s Play, a non-profit charity, to help gather donations for children’s hospitals across the globe this holiday season. Throughout the month of December, gamerDNA is challenging the members of various online communities to share a unique virtual badge in as many places as possible online, both representing their game community and helping to spread the word about the Child’s Play organization.

The following leading online communities have signed up to support the contest to date, with members having already raised thousands of dollars in donations and the contest generating hundreds of thousands of impressions! To get involved, community members should visitwww.gamerdna.com/childsplay.

• GameDaily.com
• ElitistJerks.com
• IMVU.com
• GamingAngels.com
• SFX-360.com
• TheMarriedGamers.net
• AskMen.com
• Piczo.com
• Pirates of the Burning Sea (BurningSea.com)
• StrategyWiki.org
• SixApart Media (SixApart.com)
• GameOn! (GameOn.Dispatch.com)

As part of the contest, community members complete the gamerDNA Decades of Influence Quiz, an entertaining and nostalgic multiple-choice quiz that helps gamers learn what aspects of the past four decades of gaming have had the most influence on their individual gaming identity. After completing the quiz, participants will receive a unique virtual badge featuring their quiz results and the name of the community they represent. Using the embeddable codes provided, participants race to share their badge in as many online locations as possible. The community that shares the most badges will select which Children’s Hospital is to receive a donation of 6 bundles of Nintendo DS systems and games donated by gamerDNA.

GamerDNA encourages participants to make a donation of any size to Child’s Play, however, a monetary donation is not required to participate. To view a complete list of participating communities visit: www.gamerdna.com/childsplay

Goozex members will have the opportunity to make monetary donations towards the purchases of video games and DVDs listed on Amazon.com wish lists. These wish lists are compiled by Cause volunteers in the various military hospitals and are based on the preferences and wishes of recovering soldiers. Goozex members will be able to donate to any one of the following military hospitals:
San Diego Naval Medical Center (Balboa), San Diego, CA
Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC
Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Ft. Hood, TX

Goozex will manage incoming donations to prevent an overload on the Cause volunteer network. One hundred percent of all monetary gifts for this charitable drive will be used on Amazon.com wish list purchases or given to Cause. To learn more about this campaign, please visit Goozex here:http://www.goozex.com/community/blogs/goozex_news/archive/2008/11/24/goozex-and-cause-usa-holidays-donation.aspx

“In difficult economic and global times like these, we feel it is our responsibility to leverage our large gaming community for something worthwhile,” said Mark Nebesky, co-founder of Goozex.com. Mark continued, “Every soldier’s service in the military is unique and what Cause is doing to care for our wounded is amazing, and easy to support. For the troops wounded in battle, this collection of small thank you’s sends one large message of gratitude. On behalf of the Goozex team and our membership base, we are very proud to be able to give back to those who give so much.”

About Goozex, Inc.
Goozex, Inc. is an award winning and best in class rated peer-to-multi-peer trading company headquartered in College Park, Maryland. Launched in July 2006, Goozex.com has been rated best in class by Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM #223) and GamesRadar (Dec. 25, 2007). Currently, it is the leading video game trading service based on an automated point system. Games are assigned a point value based on several factors including supply and demand, and users earn points when trading their games with other users. Points can then be redeemed for other video games. The system offers its users a fair market value for their games and guarantees all trades. On average, members can save $16.50 per game trade as compared to traditional used game retail stores.
Goozex, your game trading community TM. Please visit our website at www.goozex.com

About Comfort for America’s Uniformed Services (Cause)
Cause was founded in March 2003 by four West Point graduates who served in Vietnam. Cause began its outreach by providing personal care items and clothing to wounded soldiers arriving at Walter Reed from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today, Cause recreation and entertainment programs reach thousands of injured service men and women facing months of medical care and rehabilitation far from home and family. These programs are designed to bring a bit of relaxation and fun into what are, for many, very challenging circumstances. But they also serve a much more serious purpose: that of helping wounded warriors begin the normalization process and the re-entry to home and community as they take their long journey back to health.

Please visit the Cause website at www.cause-usa.org

SEATTLE – Dec. 1, 2008 - Hurry before it’s too late! Tickets are selling faster than the proverbial MMO on launch day for the 2008 Child’s Play Charity dinner auction to be held on Dec. 9 in the Washington State Convention and Trade Center’s skybridge; ticket sales will close this Friday, Dec. 5 (unless sold out prior). The event annually hosts over 400 videogame industry professionals and community members for an evening of drinks and silent bidding, followed by a plated banquet and live auction to benefit sick children in over 50 hospitals around the world. Contributions to the charity already exceed $450,000, passing the halfway mark for this year’s goal of $750,000.

Notable silent and live auction items will include:
- A microwave from Harmonix
- A Halo 3 Master Chief helmet signed by Bungie, Roosterteeth and Penny Arcade staff
- A bronze-cast World of Warcraft statue of an orc and wolf mount, given exclusively to Blizzard Entertainment employees
- A mint-condition, limited edition Black Dreamcast autographed by former Sega President Peter Moore

Dinner auction tickets may be purchased athttp://www.childsplaycharity.org/cpdinner.php for $125 per person, $60 of which is tax deductible. Corporate table sponsorships (seats 10) are still available. Contact klindsay@penny-arcade.com for further information.

About Child’s Play: Child’s Play is a non-profit organization begun in 2003 by Mike “Gabe” Krahulik and Jerry “Tycho” Holkins, 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 nearly four million dollars in toys, games and cash for sick children through an ongoing online toy drive and annual charity auction. Now in its sixth year, Child’s Play has developed a worldwide network of beneficiary Children’s Hospitals in order to brighten hospital stays for children internationally. For more information, visit www.childsplaycharity.org.

GoNintendo.com and Ustream.tv are working together to create a live-stream charity event, with all proceeds being given to the Child’s Play organization. This event will take place on November 22nd, at 8 A.M. EST. The event will last 8 hours.

PRlog (Press Release) – Nov 03, 2008 –Hampton, New Jersey – Ustream.TV has teamed up with GoNintendo.com to put together the ‘Best of NES’ live-stream charity event, an 8-hour live-stream with all charity proceeds being donated to the Child’s Play organization. Coming out of New Jersey, the GoNintendo.com podcast crew (and others) will be sitting down to play through some of the best games that the NES library has to offer. This old-school event will be taking place on November 22nd, and will kick-off at 8 A.M. EST. The live-stream video, as well as the methods for donation will all be available on GoNintendo.com.

“We’re thrilled to partner with GoNintendo to help raise funds for children’s hospitals across the U.S.,” said John Ham, CEO and Founder of Ustream. “Our reliable live video streaming platform will allow thousands of people across the world to participate in this unique event.”

“It’s our hope that we can bring some old-school fun to gamers around the world, all while viewers help to donate to a very important cause,” said Kevin Cassidy, Editor-in-Chief of GoNintendo.com. It’s an honor to work with Ustream.TV on this event, and together, we should be able to provide the best event coverage possible.”

Expect to see some of your favorite classic Nintendo Entertainment System games, such as entries from the Castlevania series, Punch-Out!!, Super Mario Bros., and so much more. The GoNintendo.com team will be playing through these games, talking to viewers live, interacting with viewers in the GoNintendo.com Chat Room, and they might even give away a prize or two! All of this fun will be captured in a picture-in-picture format, and backed by the quality service that Ustream.TV provides.

GoNintendo.com will be donating $300 to the Child’s Play organization, and the goal is to reach $1,000 total by the end of the 8-hour event. Once again, visit GoNintendo.com on November 22nd at 8 A.M. EST to check out the event. Donation buttons, as well as live donation coverage will be displayed alongside the video feed. GoNintendo.com and Ustream.TV are hoping that you’ll open your wallets, and donate to the Child’s Play organization. It’s a wonderful foundation, fighting for a much-needed cause.

Once again, please make sure to visit GoNintendo.com to stay up-to-date on this upcoming event.