Everyday I check on my favorite webcomic, Order of the Stick for a dose of fun to start my morning off (or frustration if there are no new strips!) Today, a blurb on the site's news section left me flustered and infuriated with a certain charity...
More below.
It would seem that the Christian Children's Fund decided not to accept a donation that gamers attending the recent GenCon convention (a massive convention for role-playing gamers) raised in honor of popular Dungeons and Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax who passed on earlier this year.
Gary Gygax had been an active participant with the CCF over the years, and has provided them with a number of donations in the past, but when it came time for the organizers at GenCon to find a recipient for their charity auction, the CCF refused.
Rumors indicate that the charity's refusal was based upon their desire to not accept money that was raised from an auction of D&D related products and items. The rumors go on to state that this is because the CCF considers this money to be, "tainted by Dungeons and Dragons." Check out this page from Live Game Auctions if you're looking for some more information on this.
I have contacted CCF via email to explain just exactly how insulted this 15+ year gamer feels by their refusal and to request an honest reason why they would refuse the money being offered. I personally have never felt a desire to donate to this charity myself, as I fear (based upon their name, of course) that my money wouldn't just be used to feed and clothe impoverished children, but to also proselytize to them and their families. Rest assured that at this point, I never will. I suspect that more than a few gamers now feel the same way.
If you want to contact the CCF, you can send them an email at algoddard@ccfusa.org. As of yet, they haven't returned my correspondence requesting an official response. I can only hope that they're being flooded with emails.
Oh, and I know anyone still reading this might be wondering, "where did the money raised go to if the CCF didn't want it?" Fisher House was more than happy to take the donation. Fisher House is an organization dedicated to helping military families by providing "comfort homes" and other forms of support intended for family members to stay close injured or sick military members. A pretty worthy cause to be sure!