A Hi-Rez Studios Child's Play donation has clocked in at $419,446 thanks to the sale of in-game items from SMITE and Paladins. The company ran special promotions in these two games following a tradition that they had been doing since 2015 with SMITE; Paladins was added to the charity drive last year.
If you're not too deep into the gaming world, Child's Play is a charity that was founded in 2003 by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade fame. Primarily, the charity purchases entertainment for children's hospitals like gaming consoles, tablets, and movies. It currently holds a three out of four-star rating on Charity Navigator.
Although many individuals donate to the Child's Play charity of their own accord, a large portion of the money that ultimately goes to sick children is raised through various gaming events. Many different companies sell in-game items for a limited time to raise money for the charity, and the Hi-Rez Studios Child's Play donation is one such program that brought in well over $400,000.
“We love that our fans stand by Child’s Play’s mission of helping kids feel better by playing games,” said Stew Chisam, CEO of Hi-Rez Studios. “Philanthropy is an important part of Hi-Rez’s identity and we’re so lucky to have players that support doing good in the world with an awesome partner like Child’s Play. To know we helped fund a gaming and technology specialist position for our local Child’s Play Hospital, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta brings this even closer to home”.A Corporate Spotlight on Hi-Rez Studios on the charity's official website details that purchases of a holiday chest in SMITE brought in $224,000 in donations. The remainder — nearly double the amount raised by SMITE — was collected by bringing Paladins into the mix.
If you'd like to support Child's Play yourself, you can do so over at their website.
What do you think of the Hi-Rez Studios Child's Play donation? Do you think more gaming companies should step up their charitable efforts? Let us know in the comments below!
