by Kat
On Tuesday night, Justin and I attended the Child's Play charity auction and dinner on the skybridge of the Seattle Convention Center. Child's Play is a charity that donates toys and games to Children's Hospitals all over the United States -- it was founded by the author and artist of the Penny Arcade webcomic to encourage giving by geeks and combat the stereotype of gamers as non-involved in community and charitable causes. The charity has been WILDLY successful, raising over Four MILLION dollars in the last six years.

The charity auction on Tuesday raised over two-hundred thousand dollars ALONE - not counting independent giving and other fundraisers (such as the Guitar Hero Funde Razor, which just raised ~$10k, and this year's Desert Bus for Hope, which raised $70k(!!). It just goes to show you that, though once-reviled, geeks are now a powerful, unstoppable force that cannot be rivaled!

Or maybe only the rich ones. This was parked near us in the lot. It's a Lotus with the license plate "PWNED":


We only pretended to be rich while schmoozing with internet celebrities. I embarrassed myself in front of Wil Wheaton. He wanted to talk to his pals about D&D and I wanted a photo. Bad Kat, bad...


We also witnessed some guy bid $10k easy to be featured in a Penny Arcade strip, and then another $4300 for drinks with the guys and Scott Kurtz from PVP. Makes me think

we got a damn good deal. Hm, perhaps we should donate one of those comics we have signed by Scott and all the Deadliest Catch captains for auction next year.

All of the live-auction goodies were quickly bid out of our budget, but we had a fun time bidding them up with everyone else. This "mystery microwave" from the Harmonix kitchen was stuffed full of sweet goodies:


And the Harmonix folks donated 30 grand!



I scored Rock Band for the Wii for only slightly over retail (and it's tax-deductible). Now all I need is a Wii. Hrrm...

Also, head crabs and Herve Leger? I think this will be very fashionable next season...



[ More Photos from Child's Play 2008 Auction & Dinner ]

Posted on December 11, 2008 @ 4:39 PM | 5 comments

Comments:

4million in 4 years? That is fantastic. I remember when they started it as a "fuck you" to Jack Thompson's allegations that gamers were social deviants.

By Blogger Monk, at 5:33 PM, December 11, 2008  

HOTTTT dress!

By Blogger Allie, at 6:10 PM, December 11, 2008  

And now Jack Thompson is disbarred and Child's Play has donated 4 million...see how well things turn out?

By Blogger Justin, at 7:21 PM, December 11, 2008  

That red Lotus belongs to Wil Shipley of Seattle's Delicious Monster.
http://wilshipley.com/blog/2005/12/5p3ll1ng-b33-category-drivel.html

By

Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:11 PM, December 26, 2008  

My worlds are colliding! Let me know if you or Justin are at all interested in Volunteering for PAX. I wasn't able to go to Child's Play this year but have enjoyed going the last couple. Glad you got to go!

By

Anonymous Sarah Thomas, at 7:46 PM, February 05, 2009  

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