PRESS RELEASE:
Video Games Join the Fight against Childhood Cancer
GMS Unites Games, Gamers and Advertisers to Play for a Purpose
What if games were developed to serve humanity in far greater capacities than entertainment and simulation? What if gamers could make measurable contributions to society every time they played a game? What if the juggernaut game industry could adjust its trajectory just slightly to make a real impact on real problems… like cancer?
It’s possible the answers to these questions can be found at GMS, a little company with a big idea. Today, the company announced the launch of its Play for a Purpose initiative. It will serve as the proving ground for the company’s vision.
Kevin Carney, Founder and CEO of GMS stated; “Our gaming clients attract massive audiences. Our game players, like all people, care about the world in which we live. Our consumer advertiser clients can’t find cost effective, measurable ads in games. Our charity clients can’t expand their existing donor bases. If you connect the dots, you draw our Play for a Purpose model. In essence, it delivers studio quality, FREE games, player points that convert to real donations to charity and effective, nonintrusive advertising units that fund the initiative.”
GMS - Play for a Purpose is an initiative that unifies Games, Gamers and Advertisers to make an impact on worthy causes. The goal of the first game in the initiative is to raise $500,000 for Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer.
GAME: As the Major League Baseball season comes to a close and the professionals leave the field, it’s time for YOU to step up to the plate! The game is a free, flash based, online home run hitting game. There is no purchase necessary to play the game.
PLAYERS: Anyone that has access to the internet can play. Registered players accumulate points that convert to real donations to the benefiting charities. The more Players that sign up and play as well as the number of home runs they hit increases available advertising inventory, which in turn, increases the revenue raising potential of the promotion for the Beneficiary. Players can also make direct donations by following links to the beneficiary’s online donation form. And, the best hitters are commemorated in the game’s Hall of Fame.
ADVERTISERS: Advertisers play their part through media buys that convert the players’ homeruns to real donations… “Dugout Dollars.” Advertisers purchase “in and around game ads” (:15 second video, scoreboard ads, etc.). The ads reach the game’s audience without interfering with game play. Advertisers get measurable results and make a dramatic impact on worthy causes without altering their media buying procedures.
CHARITIES: The beneficiaries of this initiative are leading 501 c3 charitable organizations raising funds for cancer research. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer was selected as the beneficiary of the baseball game that is launching the initiative. They’re inspirational story, the great work they are doing and the connection between children and games made them the perfect fit. “Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is excited to be one of the first non-profits working with GMS on this unique venture,” said Liz Scott, mother of Alexandra “Alex” Scott.
PROMOTION: Websites and media outlets can dramatically increase awareness, participation and, ultimately, monetary contributions by: embedding the game in their site, donating advertising units to promote the initiative and / or providing editorial coverage and broadcast mentions.
If GMS is right, we will witness games serving a greater purpose than ever imagined. As they see it “Games are critical to an equation in which the whole world is greater thanks to the sum of the parties. In effect: (games + advertisers + charities) x players = progress.”
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ABOUT GMS (http://www.e-gms.com)
GMS magnetizes and activates audiences through the development of engaging interactive applications.
Our applications, or web widgets, deliver compelling content and integrated advertising through viral distribution strategies.
ABOUT GMS - Play for a Purpose (http://www.e-gms.com/homerun)
Play for a Purpose is an initiative that unifies Games, Gamers and Advertisers to make an impact on worthy causes.
ABOUT ALEX'S LEMONADE STAND FOUNDATION FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER (http://alexslemonade.org)
Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). At the age of 4, Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex held that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of volunteers across the country carrying on her legacy of hope. To date, ALSF, a registered 501(c)3 charity, has raised more than $25 million towards fulfilling Alex’s dream of finding a cure, funding over 80 research projects nationally.
