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Reflecting on 2020

2020 has been a lot, a lot of stress, a lot of uncertainty, a lot scary but there have been a lot of amazing things in 2020 as well.  I am inviting you to wrap this year of all years up with a beautiful bow and to celebrate everything Child’s Play was able to do thanks to your support.

Indulge me as I try and layout just some of the good Child’s Play saw this year:

  • March 2010 Humble Bundle was founded to support charities like Child’s Play, in March of 2020 Child’s Play was the charity of choice, and it could not have been a better time.  This year (as I write this) Humble Bundle has raised more than 1M dollars for Child’s Play.  People are staying home and needing games and are supporting Child’s Play as they get them.
  • March 2020 Child’s Play organized and ran our first Gamers Give Back day, something we look forward to making an annual tradition.
  • 2020 saw the number of Pediatric Gaming and Technology Specialists (PGTS) funded by Child’s Play grow to 20. This includes another international PGTS, this time in Kenya!
  • PGTS have become even more invaluable to their hospitals, they are the Zoom and Tele Robotic specialists, helping kids stay connected to their families and friends as COVID reduces the ability for people to visit them.
  • PAX moved to an online format and the community stepped up and engaged with Child’s Play beyond what we expected, and we even got a chance to test out our auction software before just using it here.
  • Desert Bus for Hope, not only did they break $7 million lifetime, but they also raised nearly a million dollars this year!
  • The annual Child’s Play Auction was a smashing success, extending its reach beyond the Seattle area (we see you Nashville TN, Sarasota FL, London UK, and Cape Town South Africa) and raised more than anticipated.

Gamers were in a unique position this year to show the world how impactful we are.  Australia wildfires, COVID, Black Lives Matter all saw Gamers come together and raise funds of support.  All the while the rest of the world was trying to learn how to hold Zoom meetings.  Thank you to everyone who joined us this year at our virtual auction, sitting in front of a screen yet again, through your generosity we raised $184,000 in one night.

Thank you for the strength that you not only give to all of us at Child’s Play but also to the over one million kids that Child’s Play supports each year.  2021 is coming fast, but right now we join together to celebrate when Gamers Give Back® and the power of all of us to Play Games, Feel Better®.

Travis Eriksen
Executive Director