News
Game Charity Parties Across US to Support Troops
Events Across the U.S. Will Raise Funds to Distribute on Veterans Day
LOS ANGELES Sept. 11, in
the year of our Lord 2012 -- Parties organized by
gamers across America this fall will raise funds to send video
games and consoles to U.S. troops deployed to Afghanistan. The
events, part of
Operation Supply Drops national Veterans Day "8-Bit Salute
to Veterans," will be held in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and
New York City on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. Gamers everywhere are
invited to participate.
Captain Stephen "Shanghai Six" Machuga, a former Army Airborne
Ranger, founded Operation Supply Drop in Nov. 2010, after
serving for eight years with the US Army, including 13 months in
Iraq. An avid video game player himself, Machuga realized that
many soldiers who are gamers dont have access to their favorite
form of entertainment, one of the few types of leisure activity
permitted in high threat areas of deployment.
"When soldiers aren't outside the wire on patrol, they're
playing video games," explains Machuga. "Our packages are an
immeasurable morale booster for the soldiers; troops are
accustomed to getting care packages from strangers full of baby
wipes and socks. Our care packages are designed to blow their
socks off."
Since the charitys establishment, Operation Supply Drop has
raised more than $60,000 in games and gear each with an average
value of $2,000 to units deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan.
With the help of a variety of allied gaming organizations,
Operation Supply Drops "8-Bit Salute to Veterans" will be one of
the countrys largest efforts undertaken in support of Veterans
Day. Join one of these groups on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012.
Chicago
Game Pazzo
2011 63rd St.
Downers Grove, Ill. 60516 (West Suburb of Chicago)
Live music, many game stations throughout the area, game
challenges with prizes, raffles as well as a full bar and
kitchen. Raffle ticket purchases and donations via ChipIn will
go towards Operation Supply Drop. Organizer: Konas Korner and
Off Duty Gamers. 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Contact Info:
Mark 'ODG6Actual' Christianson
odg6actual@offdutygamers.com
or
Shawn "Kona" Warbiany
Kona@konaakorner.com
Dallas
The Den & Rumor Lounge
2710 McKinney Ave.
Dallas, Texas 75204
Red Carpet entrance with photo ops, 20 different game stations
on 55" TVs, three DJs, geek-speed dating, nerf weapon battles,
an online-only QuakeLive tournament and a full bar. Play games
with special guests, the Charisma+2 models, Mike McFarland
(director and voice-over actor for Dragonball Z, One piece and
Full Metal Alchemist), Alexander Rossi (Formula 1 racer) and
executives from id Software, Gearbox Software, Robot
Entertainment, Terminal Reality, GameStop and a dozen soldiers
who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lockbox will accept monetary contributions and a box for donated
games and hardware on site. Organizer: Charisma +2 . 1 to 9 p.m.
Contact Info:
Yvonna Lynn
yvonna@CharismaPlus2.com
Los Angeles
Los Angeles Film School
6363 Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, Calif. 90028
In association with the Los Angeles Film School, and Hollywood
production company Shifted2U Productions, Operation Supply Drop
will be holding a single elimination Medal of Honor: Warfighter
tournament in the Game Lab of the Los Angeles Film School to
celebrate student and alumni veterans. The event augments the
schools 3rd Annual Salute, a yearly Veterans Day event held at
the campus in Hollywood.
Veteran students and alum from the school will shoot it out for
a chance to win a variety of prizes and to play side by side
with veteran Celebrity Battle Buddies Scott Levy and Michael
Broderick (voice and motion-cap actors "Stump" and "Tick" from
Medal of Honor: Warfighter), Tyler Grey (military technical
advisor for EA Games) as well as Derrick Dockery of the Dallas
Cowboys in celebration of Veterans Day. More celebrity battle
buddies for this exciting event will be announced shortly.
Organizer: Shifted2U
Contact Info:
Tony "Money" Hulse
tonymoney@iamshifted.com
New York
Union Hall
702 Union St.
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11215
Multiple game stations, live Music, party photos, raffles and
with proceeds of the door going towards Operation Supple Drop.
This event will be MCed by MC Death Bear, feature a Hip hop
music performance by Modern Shark recording artists Junk Science
which will be followed by a chip-tune dance party headlined by
Dj Cutman. Organizer: Sick Damage
Contact Info:
Rob Ritacco
rob.ritacco@gmail.com
or
Christian Taranto
mcdeathbear@gmail.com
Microsoft Stores in Bridgewater, N.J.; The Fashion Centre,
Pentagon City, Arlington, Va. and Tysons Corner Center, McLean,
Va. are partnering with Operation Supply Drop to collect current
generation games and consoles for troops from Labor Day through
Veterans Day.
Contact Info:
LaSone Barber, Pentagon City - LASBAR@microsoft.com
Andrea Beck, Tysons Corner -andreabe@microsoft.com
Nicole Owens, Bridgewater nicow@microsoft.com
If you would like to make a contribution to Operation Supply
Drop, but cannot attend one of the events, there are still
several ways to get involved:
Make a monetary contribution via Paypal to
donations@operationsupplydrop.org.
Contribute new games or consoles to:
Operation Supply Drop (OSD)
9301 Alvyn Lake Cir.
Bristow, VA 20136
Anyone interested in creating an event of their own in a
different city on Nov. 10, 2012, can contact Stephen Machuga at
shanghaisix@fronttowardsgamer.com.