I came across this and it sounds really great. I know we all have old consoles and games (especially since FFXI it is the only one we play anymore!) Check it out, and if you itemize on your taxes, hey it is a tax deduction!!
Juju
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http://www.get-well-gamers.org/
The Get-Well Gamers Foundation was founded in 2001 with the goal of bringing video game systems and games to children's hospitals. Video games are an effective and proven pain management tool and provide needed entertainment during long hospital stays.
The Foundation currently serves dozens of children's hospitals across the U.S. in an ever-expanding donation network that has already brough much-needed entertainment to thousands of children each year. The Foundation services all kinds of hospitals, from small local facilities to larger regional medical centers. Although some of these hospitals are on the cutting edge of medical research, all too often their pediatrics units are lacking for entertainment options. The Foundation seeks to fill these gaps by providing hospitals with free video games, systems, and accessories.
The Get-Well Gamers Foundation is dedicated to providing for children's hospitals year-round, supplying everything from classic video game systems to brand new next-generation systems to hospitals across the country. To learn more about the Foundation and how you can help, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
FAQ:
1. What does the Get-Well Gamers Foundation Do?
The Get-Well Gamers Foundaiton is dedicated to providing hospitalized children with video games. Studies have shown that playing video games is one of the best ways for patients to dull their pain receptors and shortens the length of their hospital stays, so our goal is to make sure children at hospitals across the U.S. have videogames available to them. We provide systems, games, and handhelds to any hospital that needs them.
2. When did it start?
The Get-Well Gamers Foundation was founded in the fall of 2001 and incorporated in 2003. It was conceived of when the company's founder and a few of his then-classmates were talking about what a pleasant distraction games were when one was sick, and the idea developed that someone should supply video games to hospitals that don't have any.
3. Where are you based?
The Foundation is headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, though we have members and Network Hospitals all across the United States.
4. Who do you work with?
The Foundation works with dozens of hospitals across the United States, from free clinics to private hospitals, providing free console and PC games and systems to thousands of patients each year. To see which Foundation hospitals are in your area, check our Network Page.
5. How do you do it?
The Get-Well Gamers Foundation receives the majority of its inventory through private donations from gamers like you. Without your help, we would not be able to service as many hospitals as we do, nor would we be able to stock them as well. It is the much-used and loved Super Nintendos and the faithful Playstation consoles that keep the gears of the Foundation's donation machine turning.
6. How can I help?
The Foundation is always looking for three kinds of donations:
Information Donation: Many of the hospitals in our network were pointed out to us by gamers who had been or knew someone who had been hospitalized in a facility near them. All we need to begin relations with a hospital is the hospital's name, address, and phone number. Once we have that, we can speak to the people needed to set them up in our donation network.
Equipment Donation: The Foundation accepts all kinds of video game systems and games, anything from the NES to the Xbox. Working machines are preferred, but broken systems can either be fixed by our volunteer staff or scavenged for spare parts. And partial donations are encouraged as well; we've got systems without games and games without systems. Controllers, wires, everything is welcome, and we'll even help pay for the shipping if you need it.
Monetary Donation: If you want to donate but don't have any video games, monetary donations go toward shipping costs, replacement parts, and filling in inventory gaps when necessary. Please make checks or money orders payable to The Get-Well Gamers Foundation. Or, if you have a PayPal account, you can donate electronically by clicking the button below.
7. Where can I reach you?
By Mail:
The Get-Well Gamers Foundation
21612 Hanakai Lane
Huntington Beach, CA, 92646
By Phone:
Office: (714) 963-1950
Cell: (714) 293-8480
By E-Mail: mailto:[email protected]
8. What else can I do?
The best thing anyone can do for the Foundation is tell people about us. The more people know about our mission to ease the pains of hospitalized children, the more good we'll be able to do. Tell your school paper or company newsletter, mention it on the chat rooms and message boards you frequent, bring it up to your friends. The Get-Well Gamers Foundation lives on the support of people like you.