Club Penguin Charity Event Reaching For $2M Goal

If Club Penguin players donate enough virtual coins in the kid-targeted online game during the second half of December, Disney Online Studios will donate $2 million to real charitable causes. Running from December 15 to 27, Club Penguin's fifth annual Coins for Change program invites players to donate their virtual coins to causes like medical services, safe housing, and protecting the earth. Subscribers to Club Penguin (who pay a membership cost of $7.95 per month or less), as well as users who play in the virtual world for free, earn their virtual currency by participating in games or competitions. Club Penguin's coins are not purchasable with real-world money, though they often are included in the game's physical merchandise as unlock codes with toys, books, and other products. Disney Online Studios will make the $2 million donation if players manage to fill an in-game lighthouse with coins. Last year's Coins for Change saw kids collecting some 12.2 billion virtual coins for the different causes. The 2010 campaign divided $1 million in donations to different projects. Since its inception, Coins for Change has funded schools, libraries, health clinics, clean water programs, and more across 40 countries. "I am continuously amazed by the commitment and passion our players have for helping improve the lives of others," says Club Penguin co-founder and Disney Online Studios executive vice president Lane Merrifield. He added, "The Club Penguin community has already helped more than a million people all over the world through Coins for Change and I hope by doubling the donation, they can help even more."