In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, video game developer and publisher TECMO® has been working with several local and national philanthropic organizations to bring Family Fun Football, a casual, “pick up and play” style football game exclusively for Wii™, to kids and families who are sick or in need. In doing so, Tecmo hopes to provide a fun and enjoyable contribution that will bring families and friends together during the holiday months.
Tecmo has worked with five different organizations that are active members of the philanthropic community. On the national scale, Child’s Play, a charity started by gamers for gamers in need, works with hospitals nationwide by setting up wish lists through online retailers such as Amazon and eBay. Kristin Lindsay, project manager of Child’s Play, explains:
“Since 2003, over 100,000 gamers worldwide have banded together through Child’s Play, a community based charity grown and nurtured from the video game culture and industry. Over 5 million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash for sick kids in children’s hospitals across North America and the world have been collected since our inception. We’re proud to be the charitable voice of the gaming generation, and when gamers give back, it makes a big difference!”
By working with Child’s Play, Tecmo had the ability to reach out to sick children who may not have had the opportunity to learn about the latest video games. Now they can add Family Fun Football to their list for the holidays!
Additionally, Tecmo had the opportunity to work with the Starlight Foundation, an organization that dedicates itself to supporting seriously ill children, as well as the Fisher House, a foundation that provides lodging and accommodations for military veterans and their families. On the local level, Tecmo was able to donate Family Fun Football to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, a nonprofit, academic pediatric center that stands out as one of the top children’s hospitals in the country. Wendy Kellaris, Manager of Volunteer Resources for CHLA, had this to say about Tecmo’s Family Fun Football donations:
“We have a large teen and young adult population here at the hospital, and due to flu precautions they have been even more isolated than ever. So whenever we receive something like this that creates a diversion for this isolation, it provides such a great distraction from everything they are going through”
Finally, Vista del Mar, a Southern California residential program that provides care and support for orphaned children, was kind enough to receive Tecmo’s gifts to give to children who could not otherwise afford or be exposed to the latest video games.
Reaching out towards these organizations not only raises awareness among the video game community, but promotes the precedent for maintaining a charitable outlook for entertainment companies as a whole. Tecmo was more than happy to provide their latest family-oriented Wii game to these communities in need and hopes that Family Fun Football provides hours of fun and entertainment for kids and families who deserve it.
About Tecmo
TECMO Inc. is a global developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Torrance, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of TECMO, LTD., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl® and Fatal Frame® series. On April 1, 2009, TECMO KOEI HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. merger. More information on TECMO can be found at www.tecmogames.com.
FAMILY FUN FOOTBALL™. ©2009 TECMO, LTD. TECMO is a registered trademark of TECMO, LTD. Wii and the Wii logo are trademarks of Nintendo. ©2006 Nintendo.
