Build for Charity event will raise money for Child's Play

The non-profit organization Build for Charity will be hosting an online event on Saturday to raise money for the charity Child’s Play. Participants in the event will log onto the game Minecraft at 4 p.m., using a server donated by VanquishVPS. Over the course of 24 hours, 800 or more people are expected to log on to the server to explore, participate in a building competition, or just play the game with others.

“Our goal is to raise a thousand dollars,” said Seth Cottle, the founder of Build for Charity. “The money is raised strictly from people who want to give. We have a donations feature on the website and the donations go straight to Child’s Play, we never see a penny. Our entire event is completely non-profit.”

Cottle is the owner of Square Engine, an internet research company. He started Build for Charity in February as a way to give back to the gaming community. The event on Saturday will be the first for the organization. Cottle hopes to have several more events using Minecraft this year, each event raising money for a different charity.

“I really wanted to start giving back to the community and as a gamer I figured Minecraft was a great way to allow a large number of people to get together and have some fun,” Cottle said. “Minecraft gives everyone an opportunity to participate, no matter your age or skill. It's a fun way to be creative and build anything you can think of.”

Since its release on Nov. 18, 2011 over 5 million copies of Minecraft have been sold. Jeff Lofland, an employee at the Logan, Utah, Gamestop, said he has been playing the game off and on for months and has really enjoyed it.

“I love that you can build whatever you want to in the game,” Lofland said. “I haven’t really built that much though. Mostly I just mess around. It’s a lot of fun.”

Some players will participate in a building competition for a chance to win prizes, all paid for by Cottle. There will be a variety of Minecraft themed gifts, as well as an Alienware TactX Illuminated Keyboard that players could win. The building competition will have an entrance fee of $10, all of which will go to Child’s Play.

According to the company, “Child's Play is dedicated to improving the lives of children in hospitals around the world through the kindness and generosity of the video game community and the power of play.”

Started in 2003, Child’s Play raises money to purchase video games, toys, books and other entertainment products for children in more than 70 hospitals across the world. Last year it received over $3 million dollars in donations.

“I chose Child’s Play due to the impact they have on the gaming community,” Cottle said. “Not to mention, I really like what they do.”

Anyone interested in participating in the event on Saturday should visit buildforcharity.com, where a live feed will be available for anyone who wishes to observe.