Charitable Guest Post by author J.A. Cerullo. Josh is a good friend of the Mommas Review team. He is the author of the novella Sanctuary. Available now in e-format from Asylett Press. It is a great read, and I highly recommend it. For any questions in regards to this cause you can email andreaproulx@gmail.com.
For those who know me well, I’m sure you realize that I am a lazy, video game junkie. To this point, it’s been a hobby (and a pointless one) and never did anyone any good. Well, for one day on October 17th, that can actually change!
Extra Life 2009 is a mass event coordinated by a site called SarcasticGamer. It benefits the Texas Children’s Hospital, one of the leading pediatric cancer and hematology research centers in the United States. There are many other organizations that are participating in the event, but SarcasticGamer is the catalyst that got it all started.
It basically works like a Walk for Hunger, except instead of collecting pledges for miles walked, I will be collecting pledges to hole myself up with friends, a jug of super sludge black coffee and a tube of Ben Gay, and play video games for 24 hours straight. 100% of all pledges made to this effort will go to the charity.
I’m sure you have some questions:
Josh, really? Don’t you play a lot of games anyway?
Yes, but even on a Saturday 24 hours would be pushing it. When I was younger, staying up all night was called “Tuesday”. Now if I see 2:00AM, I think I’m going to die. This will be no cakewalk.
But how will we know you made it the whole 24 hours (and played the whole time)?
You won’t. The whole event is on the honor system. But let’s be honest, no one cares what I’m doing. Even those who pledge aren’t going to be thinking, “Man, what a hero. I wish I had the conviction to play games for an entire day!”
The real point is a great cause. The money is going to help children with cancer whether I make it, pass out halfway through, or succumb to carpal tunnel with fifteen minutes to spare. Think of it as giving to charity, while I unnecessarily push my brain to the brink of nerdy insanity.
How did this all get started?
As far as I can gather, one of the guy’s who runs SarcasticGamer had a young niece fall to cancer a few years back, so he started this as a way to use his outreach to help future patients. Once he got the ball rolling, other people joined in. You can read more about it at the Extra Life home page: http://extralife.sarcasticgamer.com/
Do people actually do this? Or will my donation be like tossing a Dixie cup of water on a forest fire?
Last year, Extra Life raised over $120,000, even though the event was tossed together on a whim just a few weeks in advance. This year, several prominent gaming sites have joined up, making their own teams and helping to promote the event. Also, they’re starting several MONTHS ahead of time now, so I’m guessing the total contributions could be very significant.
How much do I have to give?
It goes in $24 increments (minimum $1 per hour of the event). More is welcome of course.
Will there be weird pictures of you all bleary-eyed and miserable so we know you suffered a bit for our money?
Knowing the people I’ll be with, I wouldn’t be surprised by anything…
Note by Momma Andrea: If pictures become available I will certainly be sharing them with you all, my readers.
How do I donate?
Just follow this link: https://waystogive.texaschildrens.org/netcommunity/jacerullo
That’s my personal donation webpage. Just click “Donate Now” and follow the instructions. I believe it’s possible to donate to me in person and have me register it with the site, but the easiest way to donate is just through the site. That also skips me as a middle man, which is more comfortable with me.
Again, this is for a very good cause and should be some fun along the way. If you’re interested in giving, I would greatly appreciate it! Also, if you’d like to participate, just go to the Extra Life website (http://extralife.sarcasticgamer.com/) and you can read more about the event and register your own site to collect donations.
Please feel free to forward this e-mail to anyone you know. The more people I can get to consider this the better it is for everyone J
Thank you all for reading!
Josh Cerullo
