This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Your kid is playing "Call of Duty" for 24-hour stretches at a time anyway, so you might as well have him or her do it for charity.
The Salt Lake City-based Children's Miracle Network Hospitals announced last week that it will be holding a 24-hour video game marathon next month to benefit the 170 children's hospitals in the network.
The Extra Life Marathon was created in honor of the late Victoria Enmon, a 15-year-old fan of video games who died after her battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
"As the largest children's hospital charity, treating one in nine kids in North America, we have the opportunity to truly make a difference through life-changing fundraisers like Extra Life," CMN's president and chief executive, John Lauck, said in a release.
Participants are asked to obtain at least four sponsorships that each will give $1 for every hour the person plays a video game. The person can play any game he or she wishes, including those for smartphones, computers and even board games. The participant can play at home or join in groups.
The event will be held Oct. 15 beginning at 8 a.m. and the money will benefit the local CMN hospital in the donor's area.
(Gamers are encouraged to "take breaks throughout the marathon and to implement any applicable safety measures," according to the release. If anyone is unable to play the full time, he or she can make it up later or even before the official launch.)
Meanwhile, Microsoft also will be hosting its "Gaming and Giving for Good (G3)" Xbox Live charity on Saturday to benefit Extra Life. You can register for that event at http://www.Xbox.com/g3.
To learn more about the Extra Life Marathon and register, go to either http://www.extra-life.org or http://www.CMNHospitals.org.
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