12/23/08 - Holiday Game Drive A Success

Hello again.

I apologize for doubling up on the newsletter mailings on the same day, but I wanted to get this report out before Christmas is upon us. The 08 Holiday Game Drive in the Iowa City area finished up yesterday, and it was a resounding success!

Yesterday morning, I was able to deliver over 300 pounds of food to the Johnson County (Iowa) Crisis Center's Food Bank. The Crisis Center is a multi-faceted organization, providing support ranging from counseling services and assistance to the homeless to food and clothing for underprivileged families (including a community garden tended by volunteers in the summer...cool!). My only complaint about this part of the drive was that we weren't able to get donation boxes in more grocery stores...that's something we'll take on next year. But 300 pounds of food from one grocery store location is a great result.

Crisis Center workers sorting our donations into their Food Bank

The other side of the Game Drive was even more successful: the games! We were able to donate, at a conservative estimate of value, over $1000 worth of games and toys to the Iowa City Ronald McDonald House. Over $1000 worth of games...in a recession. That's amazing. I have nothing but deep thanks to give to everyone who helped us reach that level of giving, and I know I can pass that thanks on from the RMH staff. It was great to see the donations roll in over the weeks, and really surprising to tally up the end results.

Carson and Kyle of the RMH, next to the World's Biggest Christmas Stocking

So what's all in that pile of gaming goodness, you ask? I'm glad you brought that up:

(deep breath)

Jenga
Apples to Apples (a great game)
Apples to Apples KIDS
Spiderman Memory
Cranium Family Edition
Littlest Pet Shop
Kerplunk!
Sorry
Scrabble
Battleship
Monopoly
Operation
Royal Rescue (this game is seriously cool...I wouldn't mind a copy myself. Who cares if it's "5 and up"?)
Maple Story starter packs and boosters
Magic The Gathering starter packs and boosters
Blue Dragon starters and boosters
Star Wars Celebration refridgerator magnets (cool)
Clue
Candyland (two copies)
A photomosaic jigsaw puzzle (butterfly imagery)
Taboo
Walkie Talkies
Elmo's Fishing For Letters
A stuffed monkey
A stuffed dragon! (see below)
Rummikub
Chutes & Ladders (two copies)
Set (a family game of perception)
Club Secretz
A lone GI Joe Dreadnok
K'nex 400 piece tub
A stuffed deer-ish sort of animal...cute
Dominos
Monopoly Card Game
Clue Card Game (two copies)
Killer Bunnies! (cool)
Harry Potter 3D jigsaw puzzle (the Weasley kids)
A Stomp Rocket
2 pack of Alphabet Frame Trays
Showdown Yahtzee
Checkers
Bingo
Rummy Royal
Chinese Checkers
Clout Fantasy (two starter packs and some boosters)
Street Magic kit
World Wise geography card game
Family Fluxx (two copies, another cool game)
High School Musical pencil bag
PlayArt set
Aang's Battle Staff
Odd (a Code Lyoko action figure)
Stuffed girl with backpack
Kari Mitchell (a Barbie competitor)
Snakes on a Plane keychain (okay...also cool)
Toy Story Crayons
Prince Aidan (one of Barbie's hunks)
Barbie Sky Diamond Kite
Batman ION learning disc
Navia Dratp booster
Dandy Candy boardgame
Giant stuffed fish
Cars (the movie) pen/pencil/activity set
A tin of Tweety Bird...something. Candy? Stationary? Walnuts? We are unsure.

Whew. There were a few other items, and the collection boxes are staying up until tomorrow, so a few more items may come in. But that's a pretty great list.

Oh...and here's the stuffed dragon that was donated...I love it:

And so we at Gamers For Humanity thank all of you who supported us in the Holiday Game Drive. Thanks to our partners in collection: Critical Hit Games, The Hobby Corner, Terrapin Coffee, and HyVee Foods. Thanks to everyone who sent or dropped off money, games, food, and notes of support. Thanks to KWKB (channel 20), and the Iowa City Press Citizen (Rob Daniel) for the articles and event listings. And thanks to the Ronald McDonald House and the Crisis Center for working with us.

We at Gamers For Humanity hope you all have a safe and joyful holiday season--we know that you helped us bring joy to a lot of people this year.

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