Child’s Play 2012

Childs Play

Child's PayHave you ever had a child spend any time in the hospital? Psy was admitted for a couple of days right after his first birthday and I can tell you it’s not fun.  He was so miserable and it wasn’t until we were able to go play with the toys the hospital had that he really started to feel better.  I can tell you, watching him ride a car ramp like a bucking bronco with a huge smile on his face totally made up for the fact that he was hooked up to a bunch of tubes.

No matter the age of the child, it’s never easy to be, or have, a child in the hospital; and not having something to keep their mind off of everything going on can make the whole situation worse.  Having toys and other forms of entertainment in a pediatric wing is essential to the child’s well-being and it is only because of donations that this can happen.  Those toys don’t just show up out of thin air and that is what makes Child’s Play my favorite charity.  I can tell you, after spending those few short days with Psy in the hospital has made me appreciate Child’s Play even more.

In my opinion, the part that puts Child’s Play above and beyond any other is the fact that their administrative costs are practically nothing and all donations go to where they are needed – the children.  The way Child’s Play works is:

Since 2003, we’ve set up and organized Child’s Play, a game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in our network of over 70 hospitals worldwide. Over the years, you as a community have answered the call and come together to raise millions of dollars.

Child’s Play works in two ways. With the help of hospital staff, we set up gift wish lists full of video games, toys, books, and other fun stuff for kids. By clicking on a hospital location on our map, you can view that hospital’s wish list and send a gift.

Child’s Play also receives cash donations throughout the year. With those cash donations, we purchase new consoles, peripherals, games, and more for hospitals and therapy facilities. These donations allow for children to enjoy age-appropriate entertainment, interact with their peers, friends, and family, and can provide vital distraction from an otherwise generally unpleasant experience.

Every year, I donate something to Child’s Play regardless of our situation.  Knowing that every penny I spend is going to those who need it, makes worth it to me.  In 2010, in an effort to help support them even more, LE hosted a MASSIVE giveaway to raise money and we ended up collecting over $300. Last year, I wanted to do something again, but with Black Friday going on, I didn’t want to do another massive giveaway. So I started digging around and found out that Child’s Play hosts an annual Dinner Auction, where all the proceeds go towards buying even more for the various children’s hospitals. The auctioned items come from all over and anyone can donate items. So LE donated two canvas tote bags full of books and swag and the bags went for $210 and $215.

LE's 2012 Child's Play Auction BagsThis year, I’m doing it again and will be sending two more LE canvas tote bags full of books and swag to Bellevue, Washington where they will be auctioned off to anyone who wants to get their hands on them (for a price). The Annual Dinner Auction will take place on December 6th at the Meydenbauer Center and will include an evening of good food, fun, and really incredible auction items.  And when they say some incredible auction items, they literally mean it.  If any of the past items are any indication of what one could expect this year, then the bags will be in some awesome company.  Want to know what’s in the bags?

Before I say anything else, I totally have to give a shout out to some fabulous authors and bloggers who have contributed to the bags for this fantastic cause. It’s because of these great people that the bags became more than what I alone could do:

Jus Accardo, Kelley Armstrong, Philippa Ballantine, Laura Bickle, Kira Brady, Shannon K. Butcher, Jennifer Estep, Fictional Candy, Lori Foster, Angie Fox, Nancy Gideon, Jess Haines, Leanna Renee Hieber, Tes Hilaire, Joey W. Hill, Larissa Ione, I Smell Sheep, The Jeep Diva, Rosalie LarioKaren Mahoney, Hanna Martine, Cheyenne McCray/Jaime Holland, Courtney Allison Moulton, Kristen Painter, Allison Pang, Katie ReusRiverina Romantics, Gena Showalter, Nalini Singh, Lynn Viehl and Cat Winters.

So thank you thank you thank you thank you for being a part of bags that will be donated at Child’s Play Annual Dinner Auction. Now check out the loot that could be yours if you attend the Auction:

Bag #1 Bag #2
Blood Rights by Kristen Painter (signed) Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus (signed)
The Buckhorn Legacy by Lori Foster (signed) Angel’s Ink by Jocelynn Drake (signed)
Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep (signed) Angels’ Flight by Nalini Singh (signed)
Dying Wish by Shannon K. Butcher (signed) Blood of the Demon by Rosalie Lario (signed)
Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions (anthology) (signed) Blood Rights by Kristen Painter (signed)
Hearts of Darkness by Kira Brady (signed) Deliver Me from Darkness by Tes Hilaire (signed)
Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep (signed) Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions (anthology) (signed)
Liquid Lies by Hanna Martine (signed) Forever Buckhorn by Lori Foster (signed)
Nightborn by Lynn Viehl (signed) Hearts of Darkness by Kira Brady (signed)
Primal Possession by Katie Reus (signed) Razor’s Edge by Shannon K. Butcher (signed)
Stalking the Others by Jess Haines (signed) Stalking the Others by Jess Haines (signed)
The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber (signed) The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter (signed)
Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep (signed) The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber (signed)
Toxic by Jus Accardo (signed) Touch by Jus Accardo (signed)
A Trace of Moonlight by Allison Pang Clean by Alex Hughes
Blood Before Sunrise by Amanda Bonilla Darklands by Nancy Holzner
Collision Course by David Crawford Dead Mann Running by Stefan Petrucha
Darklands by Nancy Holzner Edge of Oblivion By JT Geissinger
Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein Endgame by Ann Aguirre Ann Aguirre
Dead Iron by Devon Monk Ghost Town by Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson and Tim Waggoner
Death’s Rival by Faith Hunter Haunted by Jeanne C. Stein
Flesh Circus by Lilith Saintcrow Phoenix Rising by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris
Ghost of a Dream by Simon R. Green Shaedes of Gray by Amanda Bonilla
Heaven’s Spite by Lilith Saintcrow Shotgun Sorceress by Lucy Snyder
Hunter’s Prayer by Lilith Saintcrow Spellbent by Lucy Snyder
Kris Longknife: Furious by Mike Shepherd The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle
Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
Redemption Alley by Lilith Saintcrow The Lost Stars: Tarnished Knight by Jack Campbell
Sacrifice the Wicked by Karina Cooper The Spirit Eater by Rachel Aaron
The Clone Sedition by Steven L. Kent The Spirit Rebellion by Rachel Aaron
The Janus Affair by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, Sam Keith and Mike Dringenberg Widow’s Web by Jennifer Estep

So what do you think? I think I got a little carried away when I started stuffing the bags.  Oh well, that’s what happens when one decides to purge their library, and realize they still have a lot of unread novels sitting on their shelves, and a bunch of fabulous authors/bloggers get together.  If you want to get your hands on either of these bags, then you need to go to the Child’s Play Annual Dinner Auction on December 6th, at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

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