^[1]I’ve been a gamer for my entire life. I’ve seen games provide entertainment, education, and bring families together. But one of the coolest (and most important) thing that games and gamers can do is to make the world a better place!

Over the last few years, gamers have organized to raise money for a fantastic array of causes: to support relief efforts after the Haiti earthquake of 2010, and the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011. To provide toys and video games for children in hospitals across the world. Blood drive, fund raisers, awareness campaigns. Every one of them shows that gamers are interested in more than just games—we are eager to use the community and cooperation we build around the gaming table for good causes.

Enter Extra Life.

Since 2008, tens of thousands of gamers have participated in Extra Life (www.extra-life.org ^[2]), a gaming marathon to support the Children’s Miracle Network, a group of over 170 hospitals across North America that specialize in pediatric medicine. Together, we’ve raised more than 4 million dollars that goes directly to local children’s hospitals. This money is more than just “for a good cause”. It is literally saving lives — children’s lives — every year.

There are several ways that gamers can support Extra Life and the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals:

Participation:

Sign up at www.extra-life.org ^[2]. Form a team, if you’d like, or participate solo. Gather sponsors who are willing to donate $1 per hour of the marathon on your behalf.

And, when November 2nd comes around, game for 25 hours straight! It can be anything – console games, MMORPG, card games, board games, tabletop rpgs, CCGs, LARP, sports, hand-held games… what you do is up to you.

Sponsorship:

In the end, a team’s efforts are only as strong as its sponsors. If you don’t have time to put together a team and fund-raise yourself, consider making a small donation to sponsor someone who is. All sponsorships are tax deductible and 100% of the funds raised go directly to the children’s hospital chosen by the team member you sponsor.

Signal Boost:

Every year, Extra Life has grown by leaps and bounds, thanks in no small part to folks who are willing to blog, Tweet (and retweet), post on Facebook, or otherwise boost signal about it. Share the word, and help others find out about this great charity drive.

Jess Hartley is a writer/editor/game developer and Team Captain of Chaotic Good, a group of gamers who are raising money for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital through Extra Life. To sponsor Jess and Chaotic Good, go to:

http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=55658 ^[1]

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