One of the best things about online communities and gaming is the ability to give back while doing something that we love. Hi-Rez Studios, the studio behind the hit PC game SMITE, is holding a 24-hour live stream and e-sports event to help benefit Child’s Play and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
Child’s Play is a non-profit charity dedicated to improving the lives of sick children in hospitals all over the world through “the kindness and generosity of the video game industry and the power of play.” For all information on Child’s Play and how to donate, you can visit the official website.
The Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has been participating in the Child’s Play network since 2007, and were selected as the beneficiary of the SMITE Challenge for Charity.
“As one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country, we service over 800,000 patient visits every year. Many of these patients just need a distraction or a little bit of normalcy added back into their routine which is where an item like a Wii or Nintendo DS help to ease a sick child’s nerves or pass the time when sitting through a chemo treatment. Your support means so much to the patients and families at Children’s.” – Melisa Morrow, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Development Officer
On October 4th 2013, a 24-hour live stream of SMITE will kick off at 8p.m. on both TwitchTV and YouTube via The Creatures gaming group. The stream will be free to watch, but spectators will be encouraged to donate to the cause. On the following day, October 5th 2013, the e-sports competition will take place at the SIEGE (Southern Interactive Entertainment and Game Expo) at 8p.m. in Atlanta. The e-sports competition will be a SMITE showdown between two of North America’s top professional SMITE teams: Team Dignitas and Denial eSports. At-home viewers will be able to watch the competition via Stream as well.
“As the South’s leading gaming and interactive conference, SIEGE brings together figures from across the region for industry keynotes, panels, networking events, parties and more” … “This year we are thrilled to showcase the SMITE Challenge For Charity as a great event for spectators and a celebration of the power of games to improve lives.” – Andrew Greenberg, President of the Georgia Game Developer Association
All ticket proceeds for the event and online donations will be donated to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta via Child’s Play.
SMITE is free-to-play and can be downloaded here. See you online!
