Desert Bus for Hope raises $986k for charity over 164 hours of play

The annual variety show fundraiser Desert Bus for Hope has wrapped up its 2020 run with record funds raised for the charity Child's Play. This year's event saw the Desert Bus crew raise  $986,793 for charity and also tip the event's lifetime raised over the $7 million mark.

The annual variety show fundraiser revolves around one particular minigame from the unreleased 1995 Sega CD game Penn & Teller's Smoke and Mirrors where players drive a bus between Tuscon, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada for eight actual real-world hours.

Desert Bus for Hope builds its yearly charity event on that framework, hosing guests, giveaways, and other surprises all while driving the desert bus to and from its destinations. The event keeps running for as long as donations keep coming in. This year, the Desert Bus team kept things rolling for a total of 164 hours, two hours more than the year prior.