Child's Play charity raises record $7.6 million in 2013

The Child's Play charity confirmed it raised $7,600,000 for the kids in 2013, thanks in no small part to donations from across the gaming community. That's a new fundraising record for the charity, which brought in just over $5 million in 2012. The money will be used to provide toys, games and other supplies to children in hospitals and domestic violence shelters worldwide. It's especially noteworthy when you consider that in 2013 Child's Play initiated a pilot program to provide select domestic violence shelters with "game carts" that included a television, a game system and games to play. In light of the charity's recent success, the program will be expanded to shelters across the U.S. in 2014. Child's Play also celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2013, announcing it had raised over $25 million since the charity first began collecting donations to provide games to sick kids at Seattle Children's Hospital in 2003. Child's Play project manager Jamie Dillon thanked the gaming community at large for its support in a recent blog post, attributing the lion's share of the donations to individual contributions and small-scale community events. "The bulk of our donations don’t come in the form of huge grants: the millions are made up of the $10, $20, $50 donations. They come from game marathons, golf tournaments, eBay auctions, and bake sales. They come from the incredible community," wrote Dillion. "The community coming together for 10 years has now resulted in $25,196,670. We are humbled, proud, and overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you for making 2013 our best year yet."