Editor's Note: Aaron Broder, 16, of Nashville, Tenn., a reporter for the Scholastic Kids Press Corps, blogs at allgeektout.com. He filed this report under special arrangement with TechFlash.

Video games have been getting a bad rap for years. Accused of everything from causing violence to sucking away people's lives, games and the gamers who play them have been assaulted by stereotypes -- some true, but most not -- for as long as video games have been around. In 2003, Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins (better known as Gabe and Tycho) of the Seattle-based webcomic Penny Arcade, decided they had had enough after reading an article about violent video gamers. They decided to prove that stereotype wrong by starting a Christmas toy drive for Seattle Children's Hospital.

Since then, Child's Play Charity has become an international 501(c)3 charity with more than 70 partner hospitals worldwide. In 2008, the nonprofit raised more than $1.4 million, and that just represents the donations through the charity, not the donations directly to the hospitals. They also hold an annual dinner, where they auction off a plethora of gaming memorabilia -- including a chance to appear in a Penny Arcade comic -- and donate the proceeds to charity. This year's event, scheduled for tonight in Seattle, is sold out.

I spoke via email with Kristin Lindsay, the project manager for Child's Play, to find out more about the charity.

Why did Gabe and Tycho start Child’s Play Charity? They were inspired at the time by a mainstream media news article that painted video gamers in a violent light, something that Mike and Jerry knew was a very unfair stereotype. They decided on a spur-of-the-moment to hold a Christmas toy drive for their local pediatric hospital, Seattle Children's. In a mere three weeks, they collected an overwhelming $250,000 worth of toys, mailed to them by the video game community. Based on that success, they committed to making the drive an annual event, and expanding to other hospitals.

Do you think that Child’s Play has succeeded in getting rid of some of the stigma around video games? To be honest, it's really not our focus any more to think about those misconceptions. We saw very quickly the positive impact that Child's Play donations have made in the lives of sick children and their families, and it rendered any original ideas about proving anything pretty much irrelevant. We've known for a long time that, in most cases, video games do not make the gamer.

Penny Arcade's Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

There are any number of ways that Penny Arcade could have given back to the community. Why did they decide on giving toys and games to children in hospitals? They chose a toy drive because the love of games and the joy of play is something that they felt they could share with their community. We have subsequently learned that play is extremely important in the recovery and well-being of hospitalized children, so it makes Child's Play's mission all the more relevant.

Are you surprised by the amount of support Child’s Play finds each year? We certainly never know what to expect. Gamers have shown year after year that they are extremely generous and very loyal to community efforts, so perhaps the best way to state our expectations is to say that we never count on anything.

Where do you see Child’s Play going in the future? Hopefully we'll keep doing more of the same! We're honored to be the charitable voice of the gaming community. Ideally, we'll be able to keep expanding, and serve more hospitals and more children every year.

You have your big fundraiser coming up this week. How did that get started? How has it changed over the years? Our annual dinner auction was something we started during our second year. The Child's Play program is an online initiative, so we thought it would be fun to bring in a "physical" component, where we could actually meet and have a great time with supporters. It's a very hands-on event, hosted by Gabe and Tycho, and supported by the immense generosity of the gaming industry. They donate thousands of dollars worth of auction items every year, and we see amazing support from the bidders every year. The dinner auction has remained, by and large, the same since its first year.

What kind of attendance are you expecting this year? We have a sell-out crowd of 420 guests again this year.

I’ve noticed that this event tends to sell-out every year; have you considered expanding it to accommodate more people? We are, as in previous years, limited by the size of the venue. Due to the speed of ticket sales this year, we may consider looking for a larger venue for next year.

What’s the big ticket item at the auction this year? We have several "big ticket" items this year, including studio tours, large collections of rare items from developers, and the ever-popular "Appearance in a Penny Arcade Strip" auction.

How much of the money Child’s Play raises each year comes from the charity auction? Last year, the auction raised approximately $200,000 over the evening, part of our over-all annual total of 1.4 million.

How do you suggest people support Child's Play? Donating to Child's Play can be very simple, and very fun, depending on how you chose to support us! Buying a favorite toy or game through Amazon for a local facility really does make a big impact for all the children who will be able to play it in the future. If you want to do something more involved, staging a Child's Play fundraiser can be a rewarding experience. Supporters have worked with their schools, guilds and clubs to power group efforts such as LANs, video game marathons and movie nights. These events have raised considerable donations, as well as being lots of fun for the participants. Donate your favorite game, and have a great time! When gamers give back, it makes a big difference.