Creators of the videogame comic strip Penny Arcade today announced the expansion of the Child’s Play charity (www.childsplaycharity.org) to more than a dozen Children’s Hospitals across the U.S. and Canada, with more hospitals from around the globe expected to benefit from a December 13, 2005 Charity Auction dinner. The organization, which started as a fundraiser for the Seattle Children’s Hospital, has raised nearly a million dollars in toys, games and cash for sick kids through its online toy drive and annual charity auction.

“Kids around the world speak the language of fun and games,” said Robert Khoo at Child’s Play. “With the gamer community’s continued generosity Child’s Play is helping to raise the spirits of children during hospital stays.“

Now in its third year, Child’s Play has expanded its network of beneficiary Children’s Hospitals to California (Oakland and San Diego), New Mexico, Tennessee, Seattle, Nebraska, the Midwest, Hawaii, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Toronto and Nova Scotia among others. Hospitals in the U.K. and Australia are expected to join soon. Child’s Play works in conjunction with Amazon.com to create wish lists for participating hospitals. Individual donors can choose to give new items ranging from toddler toys to music CDs, videogames, game consoles and accessories. Gifts are delivered directly to hospitals in need and are tax deductible as denoted by law.

The annual Child’s Play Fundraiser Dinner Auction will be held Tuesday, December 13, 2005 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington. The semi-formal evening, which is Child’s Play’s primary fundraising event, features a silent auction, dinner and live auction. Early auction highlights include Penny Arcade signed and numbered game consoles, Limited Edition Laser Cels, tours of local developers including Bungie and Wizards of the Coast, game collections and even an appearance in a Penny Arcade comic strip. The ticket price is $100. All fundraising proceeds go directly to participating Children’s Hospitals.

Child’s Play is seeking corporate donations for giveaway at Children’s Hospitals as well as auction items for the fundraising dinner. For information on how to become a corporate or individual donor or how hospitals can become involved go to www.childsplaycharity.org.

[tags]child’s play,penny arcade[/tags]