A small country is in danger, and gamers everywhere are helping. You should, too!
If you’ve been avoiding the news for the past two weeks, allow me to bring you up to speed: An earthquake recently devastated the Caribbean nation of Haiti and claimed the lives of approximately 150,000 people. The original quake, which registered at 7.0 on the MMS scale, was followed by 33 subsequent aftershocks, many of which rivaled the inceptive tremor in magnitude. Haiti is in dire straits; the catastrophe laid waste to many of the nation’s vital infrastructures. Without maneuverable roads, operational hospitals, or even functional telecommunication networks, the Haitian people have looked beyond their borders for help.
Several game developers have made efforts to mitigate this unspeakable tragedy. And these developers are asking for your help, as well. If you’d like to inject your gaming sessions with a “feel-good” factor, here’s how you can help.
Buy Alien Hominid or Castle Crashers: Not only are they fantastic games, but 100% of the proceeds are going toward Haiti relief.
Purchase the “Mega Bundle” from DriveThruRPG: If you happen to be a fan of table-top roleplaying, this website is offering $1,500 worth of various source books in exchange for a $20 dollar donation — which will be sent to Doctors Without Borders.
Buy anything from the Bungie Store: Do you own Halo 3: ODST? If so, why not grab a t-shirt or an art book? Each and every penny you spend at Bungie’s online store will go to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund until the end of February. If you’re short on cash, strap on the Haiti emblem in a multiplayer game of Halo 3 and play for the rest of the night. Confused? Bitmobber Evan Campbell has the information you need.
Buy items in Zynga games: You can buy Haitian-themed items in Zynga’s Facebook-based games Mafia Wars and Farmville. The developer will forward all of the proceeds to the United Nations World Food Programme. So far, the community has raised 1.5 million dollars!
If you have any old games lying around, why not take a cue from these high school students from Hinsdale, Illinois? In response to the devastation in Haiti, these kids have been selling their old video games and consoles and donating the revenue to various charities.
Buy Street Fighter Statues: If you buy one of SOTA Toys’ resin statues, five percent of what you pay will find its way into the hands of needy earthquake victims. I think I might grab the Sagat figure — he is too cool for his own good!
Regardless of who you are or how you’ve helped, I’m certain the people of Haiti send their gratitude and thank you for your concern.