WoW Players Raise $34.6k to Fight Blood Cancer

If WoW players know anything, it's that lots of small, incremental contributions will eventually add up: They've collectively donated almost $35,000 to the fight against blood cancer since the end of December.

When Blizzard employee Katherine Allen offered three one-year WoW time cards and one lifetime subscription to the game as potential prizes to gamers who helped her raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, she had a fundraising goal of $5,000. Today, when she drew the names of the four lucky Azerothians, the final contribution total was at $34,634.00 - almost seven times what Allen had hoped for.

In order to be eligible for the prize, contributors had to make a donation of at least $25 and put a message indicating their allegiance - Horde or Alliance - in the donation form. You can read the messages on the fundraising site, and while most of them form a veritable wall of "For the Horde!" or "For the Alliance!" there are some genuinely heartfelt statements in there as well. Most of the contributions were for the $25 minimum, though some donated more, even going into the hundreds of dollars - pretty generous, especially since it wouldn't increase anyone's shot at winning her random draw.

I'm sure most of our readers who play WoW can probably think of hearing about something similar with guildmates helping each other out even with real-life problems - I certainly can - but we all know that this isn't just a Warcraft thing. The overwhelming success of initiatives like Ms. Allen's fundraiser or the Child's Play charity just further proves that even in a slumping economy, many gamers are still willing to put their money where their hearts are.

Also, For the Alliance.

(Via WoWInsider)

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That's awesome!
It just goes to show that even two factions constantly at odds (You stinkin' horde) can come together and unite for a common cause.

Good on Katherine for organizing this, and a big 'way to go!' for everyone who donated!

Woah, I applaud this (also, I didn't know this was going on, damn it).

For the Horde, yarr!

At last, something genuinely, measurably positive to counter the "games make murderers" brigade.

That's really sweet :)

+1 Faith in humanity.

Clairaudient:
+1 Faith in humanity.

That +1 will be ripped away by the next moronic thing mankind does, but for now, this is an awesome thing and there should be more like it.

1st thought: "I have a new found respect for Blizzard."

2nd thought: "Man, this would have tied in perfectly to that whole "Corrupted Blood" WoW "epidemic" that attracted the interest of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) a while back."

Why is it that the gamers are the only ones that do not have our heads up our economic asses?

Like, people need to figure out if we stop buying things then the people who are selling the things are going to not make money and go out of business and then close down making it so they cannot buy other things.

Its called a crash and everyone (expect for gamers apparently) is heading right for it.

I am just glad us the gamers still endure on.

Bravo, WoW community. :]

Alright WoW players! I had no idea anything like this was going on. Guess it's because I don't play WoW. I wonder what other fund raisers this will inspire.

It's always nice to see gamers actively contradicting the gamer stereotype of being lonely, lazy, all about themselves, and immature. Take that! Hyah!

I wonder how much a lifetime sub to wow would actually be worth if you put it on ebay or something. Bet it would go for a nice sum. Bravo to katherine allen for doing it, good idea and hopefully will help quite afew people ;)

Now thats just amazing, I geus WoW players arent so bad (stiffle sniger), good on every one who donated.

Somethingfake:

Clairaudient:
+1 Faith in humanity.

That +1 will be ripped away by the next moronic thing mankind does, but for now, this is an awesome thing and there should be more like it.

Too true but until then.....

fix-the-spade:
At last, something genuinely, measurably positive to counter the "games make murderers" brigade.

quick, call fox news /sarcasm

slayermaster:

fix-the-spade:
At last, something genuinely, measurably positive to counter the "games make murderers" brigade.

quick, call fox news /sarcasm

Don't, because Faux New will twist the story to make it seem demonic/evil/un-American/un-Christian/just plain bad.

Wow, take that people who keep on criticizing games as things that influence kids to kill people. Now we are saving people's lives! Still though, I think now I can feel a bit more secure about humanity.

Funny how I don't see many fundraiser done by only "Sane, innocent, pure" people.

Hmmm, Fox what have you done for the good of the world? Don't worry, I have plenty of time until my next raid!

Greyhawk:
"Man, this would have tied in perfectly to that whole "Corrupted Blood" WoW "epidemic" that attracted the interest of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) a while back."

I remember that, that was completely awesome. Way better than the stupid zombie plague pre-WotLK. :)

Also, the article poster is a dirty Alliance player!
/wrath
Phear my orc 'lock goodness! ;)

For the Horde! But they really need to start making these fundraisers more well known to the gaming community and not just because of the prizes. Even Child's Play fundraiser is still unknown to a lot of people.

o.O? It's surprising that MMORPG gamers have time to even get out their credit cards.
Not to be a total jackass, but.... the only bloody reason I can surmise is that WoWers donated on the unlikely chance that they would get laid with the girl in the picture.

"oh thank you, you generous young sire, shall I bequeath you with a sword of alacrity for payment?"

"oh no, by all means your kiss will suffice"

/applaud It's good to see that there are still a few good people still on WoW

thejaoodmaster:
o.O? It's surprising that MMORPG gamers have time to even get out their credit cards.
Not to be a total jackass, but.... the only bloody reason I can surmise is that WoWers donated on the unlikely chance that they would get laid with the girl in the picture.

"oh thank you, you generous young sire, shall I bequeath you with a sword of alacrity for payment?"

"oh no, by all means your kiss will suffice"

You know, some of us DO have free time :P

Samah:

Greyhawk:
"Man, this would have tied in perfectly to that whole "Corrupted Blood" WoW "epidemic" that attracted the interest of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) a while back."

I remember that, that was completely awesome. Way better than the stupid zombie plague pre-WotLK. :)

Also, the article poster is a dirty Alliance player!
/wrath
Phear my orc 'lock goodness! ;)

/lifebloom
/kek

WoW thats cool, Im glad that somthing really good came out of WoW. I now want an account to be apart of that community just so that I could say we did it.

CantFaketheFunk is alliance? And I thought you were cool! :(

Was this a strictly US thing? because i didn't hear about it, and i quite frequently go on the WoW site when i'm not playing (Alliance, bitches! Hoooo! *but really regrets not rolling undead...*)

But yeah, just shows you that the WoW community isn't at majority a seething hive of zombified idiots with nothing better going on in their lives.

We genuinely do tend to care about the state of the world when we're not(and often while we are) playing.