A couple weeks have passed since our now infamous 2007 Chicago Lan so after some time off for recovery, we finally had a chance to tally up our total donations and gifts and head out to the Children's Memorial Hospital in order to make some very sick children happy. And what a tally it was.
In case you are new to the site or just learning about the Chicago Lan, 2old2play has been using our annual gathering as a way to not only meet other fellow older gamers, but also to help those less fortunate then ourselves. And so, each year we choose a charitable organization to donate our proceeds to. That way, something we love can be used to possibly create a better situation for someone else. It's win win right!
Our Inspiration
This year that inspiration came from one of our own members, JollyRoger, whose own daughter has captivated the site through the families struggle and perseverance with her illness. We felt what better charity to help then a charity that helps sick children, and we did so in honor of Megan. (to learn more about Megan, please check out Jolly blog)
So this year we told all of our members to bring what ever old consoles, games, peripherals, or toys to the LAN in order to donate the gifts when the weekend was through. Lucky for us, we received all sorts of items from GameCubes, games, Xbox's. and toys. All of these generous gifts were then brought with us when we handed over our donation check to the hospital.
Speaking of the check, our donations would not have been possible if it wasn't for the unbelievable donation from Microsoft of over a 40 items given to us to raffle away for the charity. Because of them, we were able to provide our LAN members with games, clothing, peripherals, and software from the large selection of products that MS currently has under its belt. It truly was the single most important donation that we could have received and we are grateful they could be so generous on such a short time schedule.
So What Was The Total Already!
So after all was said and done, the members of the LAN (and those members that watched via the live stream) helped to donate over $1800.00 in cash and gifts. I personally went down to the Hospital to deliver the check and gifts last week and snapped some shots of the experience as well. Unfortunately due to health risks, we were not allowed to visit the children, but I was able to get a peek into the recreation center that would house all our donated games and consoles. I was also assure that all our money would go to the entertainment division of the hospital (a fitting area for a group of gamers like us I thought).
So give yourself a pat on the back and feel good about what you were able to do for these kids. You have without a doubt made at least one child's day a bit better with this effort no matter how small or large of a donation. I personally can't wait till next year so we can try for an even larger amount for CMH and the children it helps. If you want to donate on your own, please make sure you check out the donation area of CMH now and find out how you can help their cause. Thanks again to everyone that worked on the LAN and to those who attended and gave to the charity. The children thank you as well.
