Gary Gygax, the co-founder of Dungeons and Dragons, held the Christan's Children's Fund to be his favorite charity cause. Even if you are not familiar with this charity you likely have seen the commercials with Pernell Roberts (looks like the real life Henry Jones from The Last Crusade) explaining to you how the children are starving and you can sponsor them.
At this year's GenCon a charity auction raised $17,000 for the charity in Gygax name (whom passed away this last March 4th of an aneurysm). The CCF turned the money down due to the fact the money was partly raised by the sales of Dungeons and Dragons materials. Now while I support the freedom to have the right to turn down money provided in such a way I feel that the CCF had the responsibility to put that aside in the economic climate currently at hand. Instead they refused with out much comment on the matter. Could they honestly believe that a large group of gamers whom are attempting to give them free money to their cause have only the worst in mind for them? Or that the agreement on the principals of both groups to feed the needy does not over shadow the public view of popular games and the people that they might associate with?
I understand that a charity must be very strict on where the money comes from, and whom should get a tax break and so forth. However I belive those laws are in place to handle illegal funding and not a matter of opinion on the group orginization it self. Perhaps if you were a minority schoolastic group and the KKK wanted to donate money I could see why you would refuse their mockery of assistance based on belifes. However since Gygax made many donations to CCF over the years I cannot fathom that suddenly now gamers at large are seen as evil. This is certainly not been the case from whom took the donations previous to this.
Hypocrisy rears it's head, roll to save.
I'm insulted on the behalf of GenCon and I am happy to report that there are less near-sighted groups at work in the world. GenCon gave the money to Fisher House Foundation (http://www.fisherhouse.org/) and so have I thanks to this latest act of elitism.
Seabass