Child's Play 2005 Launch 147
It's that time of year again! Child's Play 2005 is underway. Child's Play is a charity run every year by Penny Arcade, the well-known online gaming comic created by Gabe and Tycho. Child's Play is your chance to give to the proto-geeks of the world who not only might not have the chance to play games otherwise, but find themselves sick in a hospital during the Holiday season. Child's Play gives money, games, and toys to children's hospitals in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.. Gabe's kickoff post was put up yesterday on the site. The Child's Play site itself is chok full of information, including a F.A.Q., letters from former patients who have been touched by games in hospice, and an order form for tickets to the second annual Child's Play charity dinner. This last is a swanky shindig with a silent auction, at which you can bid on one-of-a-kind opportunities like a tour of Bungie's studios or the chance to be in a Penny Arcade comic. Most important, though, are the links on the front page of the site to the various Amazon.com wishlists. There, you can purchase a book, game, or toy to have sent to a deserving kid at one of the participating hospitals. These folks are our folks, and if you have anything to give this is the place to do it. Thanks.
Let's go! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Let's go! (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Let's go! (Score:1)
Re:Let's go! (Score:2)
Re:Let's go! (Score:2, Funny)
This comes alongside the less publicised news that Thompson received, at his home address, a tube of vaginal lubricant, courtesy he feels, of Rockstar.
Re:Let's go! (Score:5, Funny)
This comes alongside the less publicised news that Thompson received, at his home address, a tube of vaginal lubricant, courtesy he feels, of Rockstar.
best laugh i had all day. thanks.
Re:Let's go! (Score:1)
Bemopolis
memories (Score:5, Interesting)
Now to determine how much money to donate to it...
As a side note, anyone know anything about get well gamers [get-well-gamers.org]? They seem to be asking for non-monitary donations, but as I recall, last year Gabe said they weren't allowed to give already used stuff (I could be wrong on this).
Re:memories (Score:2)
I'm not sure if that's true, but it would make sense. I'd imagine it would be very difficult to sterilize a piece of electronics (especially a well-used piece of electronics) sufficiently to be used by a patient with a suppressed immune system without destroying said electronics.
Re:memories (Score:1)
I remember specifically that, at least for my brother, all the tension of the catheter up his you know what, and the multiple surgeri
Re:memories (Score:2)
Childs Play does not accept used games [penny-arcade.com] but Get-well-gamers.org does [get-well-gamers.org]. They even accept broken games which they repair or scavenge for parts.
Re:memories (Score:2)
Re:memories (Score:1)
My 4-year-old son has leukemia, and has had a variety of hospital stays over the past two years. We've been lucky -- we haven't had too many hospital stays -- but we know other cancer kids that spend just weeks and weeks in the hospital. Most of these kids are sick enough to need hospitalization (many due to reduced immunity), but not so sick that they can't do stuff.
Hospital stays can be (among other things) extremely boring. There's only so much TV you can watch. Most pediatric wings will have some
Open-books charity? (Score:2, Interesting)
A "for the kids" charity organization keeps blitzing my church with videos, and when I researched them I found that they give out less than 50% of their take!
Re:Open-books charity? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Open-books charity? (Score:2)
Re:Open-books charity? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Open-books charity? (Score:1)
Re:Open-books charity? (Score:3, Informative)
Amazon's cut is exactly that -- whatever profit they make on the sale of items. Plus the inevitable "shipping and handling" fees (if any).
The cash donations go 100% to the hospitals. Gabe, Tycho, and various others volunteer their time to do whatever administrivia is needed. But by having virtually all of it done through Amazon, and shipped directly to the hospitals there really isn't much (the first year they did this they had eve
Re:Open-books charity? (Score:5, Informative)
Sheesh, at least click on the link for the charity and do some reading before asking inflammatory questions. I know that there are a lot of scammers preying on the "for the children" line for charities (not to mention politics) but Gabe and Tycho have never numbered among them.
Re:Open-books charity? (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, but Gabe did punch a baby once.
(In Gabe's defence, the baby was being kind of a dick.)
Hahaha! (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Open-books charity? (Score:2)
The warning is also a general one focused on any charity. Why would you think I am asking an inflammatory quesion? Because I've volunteered to charities in the past, and not one has kept its original vows. Over time, it is very easy to become corrupted by the money, so you have to check and re-check every charity, every time you give.
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
mod -1 redundant... (Score:1)
Ahhh charity... (Score:3, Funny)
Open your hearts and wallets (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Open your hearts and wallets (Score:2, Interesting)
Free PA Prize! (Score:1)
You know... (Score:2)
Good Cause (Score:4, Interesting)
I can remember visiting my grandmother in the hospital a year or so back, and while waiting for her to wake up I took a walk around the hospital and found a group of kids sitting in a recreation room all playing games and having a great time. It's a phenomenal way to keep these kids happy while going through tough times.
Anyone want to go in half with me for a PS2?
Is it possible to make a donation... (Score:4, Funny)
They better watch out... (Score:4, Funny)
Not Just Games (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not Just Games (Score:2)
Seriously. Go check them out on iTunes. They may not be my favorite band, but they definitely take more crap than they deserve.
Nonetheless, I think that doing something a lot more personal would have an even greater effect. I helped coordinate a project where we made a home movie of sorts for a
Not Slashdotted? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not Slashdotted? (Score:2)
Re:Not Slashdotted? (Score:2)
Last year I gave to the houston children's hospital here, and an equal $ donation to the general fund. (Gave to the first one too. Shooting for 3 for 3 this year.) A few weeks into the new year, I got a card , written out by one of the candy stripers (generally elderly volunteers that do various non-medical things to help out patients, for those not familiar). It showed a little girl, couldn't have been much more than about six or s
Amazon a bit disappointing (Score:2)
Re:Amazon a bit disappointing (Score:2)
Bless Them Kids, Yo. (Score:2)
Australia? (Score:2)
The FAQ says:
Q: When are you going to expand into Canada/UK/Australia/other countries?
A: 2005!
.. and yet I only see Canada/UK on the list of hospitals. If I donate it's going to be to an Australian hospital, so I guess I won't be doing it through Childs Play. Shame, it would have been good to contribute to the total figure.
Yes, I know, I can just donate directly (which I may still do).
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:2)
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:5, Insightful)
Children in India, Africa and South America need medical care and food above a PlayStation 2. That said, I understand that since the organization is Penny Arcade, they are doing this charity as a twofold purpose:
1) To give to children
2) To promote the idea that games are healthy for kids and offer education, not violence
The second reason is because there is a lot of criticism over the gaming industry and this is one way that PA can approach the subject with actions, not just words, and help needy children.
Kids in the US, UK, Canada, etc. who Child's Play is geared toward are getting the medical care they need -- the problem is, many of the parents of those sick children might be seeing all of their income go towards medical bills and basic expenses such as food and utilities.
They might not have enough money leftover for a good Christmas. PA steps in and helps a little bit. Yes, toys and games are material and can't be as valuable as clean water and food for children in India and Africa. But it's about evaluating what these countries need. Kids in India and Africa need medical care more than they need toys. Kids in the US and UK in these hospitals are already getting that medical care. What they need is a little happiness during their illness.
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:1, Flamebait)
* Child's play is not for poor children, it's for sick children.
* Child's play is a cynical political stunt for the computer gamer lobby.
* Child's play really is for poor children since sick children are poor.
* Poor sick children need aid far more than other sick children since they are missing far more than just comfort.
Ok, so basically I said that Child's play is a very honorable and generous program that may be a little short in scope due to some natural human
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:1)
Also, it says right on the Child's Play web site that they are using this as a way of proving wrong critics of the gaming industry.
Under "About Child's Play" it says, For two year
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:1)
And we have a win-nah! Winnah!
Few have quality arugment planning skills; myself included.
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:3, Insightful)
Just because someone else may have a greater need doesn't mean people shouldn't help out those that have a lesser need. If you follow this logic, people would only donate to, say, earthquake relief in Pakistan, or hurricane relief in Lousiana. Just because there are people out there who have a greater need doesn't negate the fact that there are others with a need as well.
The tiny P-A tea
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:2)
I don't know how 9 people so far believe that I am criticising them. I don't know how I could have been more gentle about my disagreement with their priorities, if you have any suggestions I'd like to know of them. And I don't think I ever claimed anything about who is more deserving. Charity has never been about who deserves, it is about who has the most needs that can be satisfied.
As for the insightful rating, I may or
There are poor kids here too (Score:4, Interesting)
Also, there's a matter of making sure that the donations get to the intended recipiants. In a stable, first-world nation, that's pretty easy. I'd venture to say 99.9% of all Child's Play gifts go where they are supposed to, and the small fraction of a percent that don't are mistakes, not thefts. In Africa? Well try arranging that. That's always been a massive problem with aid over there. You drop off tons of food, only to have it seized by a local milita, and this is when the UN and governments do it and they can actually back their position up with guns, if they so choose. PA, well thy'd send shit there and just hope it got where it was supposed to.
There's also the matter of trying to do things others aren't. There already is aid going to Africa, lots of it. It's not enough, but as I said it's also due to reasons of it not getting where it's supposed to. But the point is, if you want to give aid to Africa, there are ways to do it. However this market, toys for hospitalised kids in teh states, seemed to be totally neglected. So they started it up. Rather than try to duplicate the effort of others, they started something new.
Re:There are poor kids here too (Score:1, Funny)
<Obligatory demand for parent's 1040 form so we can audit your charitable deductions>
Re:There are poor kids here too (Score:2)
Why on earth would anyone be giving video games to hospitals when there are SO many more useful things they could be spending money on?
I know you're just a trolling AC but a lot of people seem to have this opinion and it's quite backward. Instead of saying "ok maybe not how I'd choose to spend my charity $$, but good job guys" you actually take offense at something that in the end is still a charity helping children. Look, you can disagree with the best way to help people but please don't get ang
Re:There are poor kids here too (Score:1, Insightful)
Then you must understand the concept of triage.
You can't save everyone. So you start with those who really need it, doing what you can that's likely to actually save lives.
Video games are VERY low on the "charity triage" list.
Yes, it does mean some kids don't get helped. Because they don't NEED the help as much as others.
If you're really a realist, you'll understand that Child's Play is actually harmful since it's divertin
This is treatment!! (Score:2)
Furthermore it shows people in these hospitals that people call about thier well-being beyond just immediate family.
It's a way to promote a more positive mental outlook which has documented and very positive effects on rates of recovery and general health. Yet hospitals jus
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:3, Insightful)
This was a spur of the moment thing they started before Christmas a few years ago. I remember reading the newspost - they were pissed that gamers were always shown as a bunch of demented teenagers running around with trench coats and black-tape pentagrams on their social studies book covers. They wanted to show these condescending media pricks what the gaming demographic actually is like.
And the
It's a slowly growing charity (Score:2)
So, the charity is growing each year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it expanding into even more countries as each christmas rolls around.
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:3, Insightful)
1) Because they live in the USA, near Canada, both former colonies of
PSA: This is what a real troll looks like (Score:2)
MOD PARENT DOWN (Score:2)
Re:PSA: This is what a real troll looks like (Score:2)
1* Deliberate hyperbole in order to make certain readers angry.
2* Message not completely based on author's own viewpoint.
3* Drifting off topic early in the post.
4* Insult of many of slashdot's readers at the end
Actually:
1- FLamebait.
2- Dunno...
3- Offtopic (duh)
4- Flamebait (again).
Dude, maybe you didn't PLAN to troll, but posting "giving toys to sick kids is wrong" in a thread about a sick kid toy drive is garanteed to give you a lot of negative attention, whether you wanted
Re:PSA: This is what a real troll looks like (Score:2)
Where did I say this? Where? Tell me you strawmanning fucktard where?
If you had actually read my fucking post you would notice I never once objected to giving gameboys and other toys to children. I just pointed out that limiting it to three of the richest nations on earth was unfortunent. That's what I said, that's all I said, and you and your fucking moron friends come and call me some kind of a grin
Re:PSA: This is what a real troll looks like (Score:2)
fucking
fucking moron
fuck you, fuck you very much.
You implied it there:
Re:PSA: This is what a real troll looks like (Score:2)
Re:PSA: This is what a real troll looks like (Score:2)
Can you seriously tell me why opening up a program that distributes toys and games to other, poorer countries is a bad idea? Can you tell me why I have taken this massive wave of abuse over suggesting it? From what it seems, most people here firmly believe that if there were more than three countries that a donor could choose to send things to that the skies would open and fire-rain would come down from heaven and distroy every to
Re:PSA: This is what a real troll looks like (Score:2)
Because they give actual toys to real live children, and you complain about it.
How many toys have you given to sick children? They have given thousands, and you complain because you say other kids deserve them more.
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:2)
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:2)
Why the hell does everyone choose to misinterpret the same post even after it's been modded to 0 Troll? Do people just browse slashdot at 0 looking for badly written posts then reply to them without reading the huge amount of (mainly futile) discussion it caused to find out what the author actually meant?
Why don't you browse at +1 next time?
Re:US, UK, Canada (Score:2)
Hard concept to understand, but if you draw it out on a napkin it becomes easy to grasp.
I will also run all future replies to 0 modded comments past you for acceptance.
Why don't you browse at +BRAIN and -ASSHOLE?
Can everyone just ignore the parent from now on? (Score:2)
Re:hmm... (Score:3, Funny)
If only this charity had existed back then, the doll could have had the opportunity to traumatize another child.
Re:hmm... (Score:2)
Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:5, Interesting)
I'd also like to remind everyone to give blood at this time year. It's something that many of the children need as they undergo surgery and its something that's normally in very short supply this time of year.
Probably not a popular sentiment and I'll probably be modded as a Troll.
2 cents,
Queen B.
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:5, Insightful)
But you raise a good point--don't just stop at money. Donate blood. Volunteer. Get out there and do a storybook hour if you can. Make a difference.
Your level 60 Forsaken Warrior can wait a day or two.
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:2, Funny)
I read that as "level 60 Foreskin Warrior." Same thing I guess. He can wait a day or two, too...
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:4, Insightful)
I do agree that we should not forget those other organizations! St Jude's is one charity that I support every single year. However, I still give to Child's Play as well. There is something special (to me) about picking out a couple of games for the kids to enjoy. It seems a little more personal than the check I write to help with treatment.
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:4, Interesting)
There are tons of charities that do what you describe, and that helped you out. Does that mean it's wrong to add some additional charity on top of that to help restore some childhood as well as health?
In addition, this type of donation resonates with gamers, I doubt they could pull anything near this level of donation out by simply collecting money for healthcare like so many other institutions.
I support both the Shriners and Child's Play because they each provide for distinctly different parts of a child's wellbeing.
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:3, Funny)
You think that suggesting that people donate blood is not a popular sentiment? Wow. You're a troll alright, one making tired karma grabs. I wouldn't have been annoyed if you had just said, "Donate blood too!" because it is a good idea but you wrapped around that statement this idea that you're the only one to ever have thought of this and everyone else thinks donating blood is a bad idea. Stop pretending to be female. Stop whoring f
Troll? No way. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:2)
Most Cash donations to non-profit hospitals go to cover medical/admin costs so the children can get the care for litte or no cost. Of course that is the goal of these Hospitals and they have to take care of that obligation first. They do a very good job making the money stretch. Places like you mentioned as well as others like St. Judes do an awesome job treating sick kids on limited funds.
After covering treatment/admin/Overhead/Facility costs very little is leftover for "extras" l
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:1)
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:2)
While I think that the mental state of the child can be improved by toys, given the choice between getting care or getting a toy, surely you can see that getting care is more important.
2 cents,
Queen B
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:2)
Have a heart and stop bei
For God's sake... read the content (Score:5, Insightful)
While I find it touching that you want to give games to kiddies, I think it would be far more beneficial to make donations to pay for actual treatment.
Gabe's comment:
These hospitals obviously receive plenty of donations year round but what we learned is that the money they get for the most part is spent on things much more important than toys. Things like medicine and equipment are a bigger priority than say Crash Bandicoot.
These Kids need toys though. They need games to play and crafts to make in order to take their minds off their situations. Something as simple as a Game Boy can make the stay in one of these Hospitals much more bearable for a kid. That my friends, is where we come in.
The fact of the matter is that most people that read PA aren't going to donate money to a charity simply because Gabe or Tycho mentions it. This, however, is a gift that many of the readers can connect with. You give someone $50 and you have no idea where your donation was spent. You give someone a Gameboy and you know that somewhere, in some hospital, a kid is playing a video game because you cared enough to get involved.
My Dad has a picture of some dirty guys with chainsaws and shovels that he feels sums up his civic organization. An elderly lady in the community had a stream that backed up several times a year and flooded her backyard and basement. Instead of reaching for their paychecks, so she could hire someone, they got their tools, showed up the next Saturday, and cleared out the area. Problem solved.
Anyone can write a check and pat themselves on the back, but no amount of money is going to solve every problem. It takes a special person to see a specific problem, create a solution, and take the initiative to implement it. That's exactly what the PA guys are doing and they're doing it extremely well.
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:1)
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:2)
I have tainted blood (Score:2)
Now what am I going to do with all of this excess blood?
Re:I have tainted blood (Score:2)
I give up trying to understand why they were wasting a trained nurse's time asking me questions that I might lie to, they couldn't verify
Re:Gifts of Substance not Fluff (Score:2)
What makes this even worse is that by donating blood I might make money which, apart from spending it for my personal entertainment, I could give to Child's Play (which I wanted to do since Tycho and Gabe sta
Re:This is not charity.. (Score:2, Insightful)
The truth is that there are millions of things that Penny-Arcade could do that would attract a greater readership; creating a highly efficient charity that helps sick children is probably the most selfless one with the lowest personal gain. I recognize that charitable acts make for good PR, but do you think the people who need the help (or benefit from said
I hate to feed the trolls... (Score:2, Interesting)
Now I'm not intimately familiar with Gabe and Tycho's financial situations, but this I do know: they're comfortable enough to throw down $10,000 to embarrass Jack Thompson. That may have been all their givin'-away money for the year, but let's as
Re:This is not charity.. (Score:2, Insightful)
Perhaps it's a PR exercise. Perhaps (more likely), that PR and the PA name attached to the charity is what truely garners the massive donations required by this undertaking. YES, they sell their own branded stuff. Yes, they do make money on ads. But you know what. W
Re:This is not charity.. (Score:2)
You're right. Perhaps, it should be plastered all over a hugely unpopular site where it's sure to generate all those donations in a more appropriate manner.
Re:This is not charity.. (Score:2, Insightful)
Also, can YOU donate $350,000 alone? I don't think they can either.
Re:This is not charity.. (Score:1)
Re:Question not on FAQ Page - (Score:1)
Seriously, there are so many good reasons to get these things for these kids. For example a study was done, and linked to here on /. (tho I can't find the link at the moment) that showed gameboys are more effective at relieving pre-surgury stress in children than seditives, and are obviously much safer. The fact that some maintenace person might stoop to the vile act of stealing from sick children is no reason not to give.
Re:Question not on FAQ Page - (Score:3, Informative)
Most of the stuff stolen from our hospital was stuff that wasn't going to adversely affect patients -- a package of gauze here and there, the staff microwave, etc.
-Jenn
Re:Letters from beyond the grave? (Score:1)
Re:Give (Score:3, Funny)