It’s once again that special time of year when we give you a chance to do well by doing good. That’s right—it’s time for the 2023 edition of our annual Charity Drive!
Every year since 2007, we’ve encouraged readers to give to Penny Arcade’s Child’s Play charity, which provides toys and games to kids being treated in hospitals around the world. In recent years, we’ve added the Electronic Frontier Foundation to our charity push, aiding in their efforts to defend Internet freedom. This year, as always, we’re providing some extra incentive for those donations by offering donors a chance to win pieces of our big pile of vendor-provided swag. We can’t keep it, and we don’t want it clogging up our offices, so it’s now yours to win.
This year’s swag pile is full of high-value geek goodies. We have 40 prizes valued at over $2,500 total, including gaming hardware and accessories, collectibles, books, apparel, and more. In 2022, Ars readers raised over $31,500 for charity, contributing to a total haul of more than $465,000 since 2007. We want to raise even more this year, and we can do it if readers dig deep.
How it works
Donating is easy. Simply donate to Child’s Play using PayPal or donate to the EFF using PayPal, credit card, or Bitcoin. You can also support Child’s Play directly by picking an item from the Amazon wish list of a specific hospital on its donation page. Donate as much or as little as you feel comfortable with—every little bit helps.
Once that’s done, it’s time to register your entry in our sweepstakes. Just grab a digital copy of your receipt (a forwarded email, a screenshot, or simply a cut-and-paste of the text) and send it to ArsCharityDrive@gmail.com with your name, postal address, daytime telephone number, and email address by 11:59 pm ET Tuesday, January 2, 2024. (One entry per person, and each person can only win up to one prize. US residents only. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. See Official Rules for more information, including how to enter without making a donation. Also, refer to the Ars Technica privacy policy (https://www.condenast.com/privacy-policy).
We’ll then contact the winners and have them choose their prize by January 31, 2024 (choosing takes place in the order the winners are drawn).
The prizes
Here are quick descriptions of some of the biggest, most desirable prizes in this year’s lineup. See the next page for a complete list of the available prizes.
Magic: The Gathering / Lord of the Rings prize pack
Wizards of the Coast’s classic collectible card game partnered with Lord of the Rings this year for a “Universes Beyond” set full of familiar characters and items from J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe. This prize pack comes with enough pre-constructed decks, rare foil promos, and randomized booster packs for you to dominate the competition.
Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro mechanical keyboard (used)
Ars’ review of this gaming keyboard praised its highly programmable buttons, quiet, pre-lubricated stabilizers, and array of useful media keys. But if the $230 MSRP is a bit too dear for you, you could still enjoy this used review unit if you win our sweepstakes.
Specialized brand weatherproof outdoor clothing
Ars’ John Timmer loved his time with Specialized’s e-mountain bike, praising its great handling, effective electronic assist motor, and long battery life. Now that the review is done, though, he’s getting rid of a wide array of (unworn) high-end Specialized mountain biking gear that came along with it. His loss can be your gain!
Press Run books
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