The internet’s longest running charity marathon ends their 18th year of fundraising with a lifetime total of over 11.9 million dollars raised for Child’s Play Charity.
November 19, 2024
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
Desert Bus for Hope :
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENOVEMBER 18TH, 2024
VICTORIA, BC, CANADA— Desert Bus For Hope concluded their 168 hour telethon on Friday, setting a new donation record: $1,251,631.44 with all money raised going directly to Child’s Play Charity. The fundraiser, which continues for as long as their viewers continue donating, reached a full seven days duration in 2024, ma king it their most successful and longest-running event yet. This year’s total was generated by over six-thousand unique donors, donating $7,450.19 per hour—approximately $2.00 donated to Child’s Play every second for a week straight.
LoadingReadyRun’s Graham Stark, one of the co-creators of Desert Bus For Hope said, “When we started the first Desert Bus for Hope, our goal was $5000. Even that seemed unattainable, and we figured it would be something we’d just do for that weekend. Now it’s 18 years later, we’ve raised $11 million dollars, and I can hardly fathom what numbers mean. I’m so happy, and tired, and fortunate that we get to be a lightning rod for this generosity.”
With a talented team of volunteers and entertainers ready to sing, dance, act, and more, Desert Bus for Hope has become one of the most successful online charity drives. In addition to breaking their single-year record, the telethon also celebrated their lifetime achievement of $11,000,000 raised through a combination of auctions, giveaways, and a very generous & enthusiastic chatroom of thousands of live viewers.
“For the 18th year in a row, Desert Bus For Hope has proven once again that in the face of so much fear and uncertainty, there continues to be an enormous amount of good in the world. Our global team of dedicated volunteers is nothing short of incredible, and our community continues to carry us ever forward with their love and their generosity,” said Desert Bus For Hope co-founder, James Turner.
While the fundraiser has concluded for 2024, the volunteer team behind Desert Bus For Hope is already setting their sights on 2025 and their next milestone: $12,000,000 lifetime raised— for the children. For more information please visit desertbus.org. Staff for live interviews, high resolution photos, and video clips are available upon request from the media contact below.
About Desert Bus for Hope
Founded in 2007 by online sketch-comedy group LoadingReadyRun, Desert Bus for Hope is an annual online charity gaming marathon broadcast out of Victoria, BC. All of the money raised goes directly to Child’s Play. To date, Desert Bus for Hope has raised over $11,000,000.desertbus.org
About Child’s Play Charity
Child's Play seeks to improve the lives of children in pediatric hospitals and other child welfare facilities through the kindness and generosity of the video game community and the power of play. childsplaycharity.org
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