This December, the Gamers United organization is reaching out to the Mattel Children’s Hospital of UCLA.

The mission of Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, an essential component of UCLA Health System, is to provide treatment for children in a compassionate atmosphere, and, as a teaching hospital, to conduct research that improves the understanding and treatment of pediatric diseases. In addition to providing medical services, Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA is involved in grassroots legislation for children's issues. Our goal is to raise donations for the Mattel Children’s Hospital.

To be a part of the month-long campaign to collect games and accessories for the Teen Lounge of the Mattel Children’s Hospital of UCLA, please go the Gamers United’s official site and watch Coin-Op TV Live on Thursdays on theStream.tv at 8:00pm Pacific. You can also donate via Paypal and the funds will go towards the long list of needs these young patients need.

Supporters can follow Gamers United on Twitter for more update @Gamers_United or become a fan on Facebook.

Please send games, game accessory/peripheral or the like or make a contribution via the Paypal link above. To make other arrangements, please email info@thegamersunited.org.

Games cannot be rated ‘M’ or ‘Mature’ – please bring ‘E’ ‘E10+’ or ‘T’. All items must be new and unwrapped due to strict infection control guidelines.

The 2009 Gamers United Holiday Cocktail party set out to collect donations for the Mattel Children’s Hospital of UCLA and raise awareness of often forgotten teenagers of the pediatric ward. Expectations were met and exceeded on December 9th as industry influencers, celebrities and executives came together in a unified show of support.

Gamers United may have started out small but their warp speed growth was no surprise to organization founder, Chastity Irizarry. “The industry is giving and we are kids at heart. We just found a way to make it easier for us to come together for gamers who need our help.”

Some special guests were also in attendance at the evening’s festivities. Robert Welkner and Hailey Bright from Coin-Op TV Live, Carlos Ferro best known as the voice of Dominic Santiago from the Gears of War franchise and Leonardo da Vinci of Assassin’s Creed II, President of Intellivision Keith Robinson, Top Cow artist Rick Basaldua, anime and video game voice actors Spike Spencer (voice of Shinji Ikari of the Neon Genesis Evangelion series), Jennifer Hale (voice of Naomi Hunter of the Metal Gear Solid series and Ophelia in Brutal Legend), and Gregg Berger (voice of Jecht from the Final Fantasy series), actors Jeff Rector (Fatal Kiss, Fox Hunt, Star Trek: The Next Generation) and Alexis Cruz (Stargate, Stargate SG-1, Shark and Drag Me to Hell), comic book artist and now game producer Joe Madureira (Darksiders, Uncanny X-Men and Battle Chasers) and Kevin Pereira from G4’s Attack of the Show were all came out with their donations. “I love volunteer work and I am really excited about revamping the UCLA kids lounge!” says Hailey Bright and Spike Spencer said very simply, “I’m a big supporter.”

“At last count we have collected over $3,000 worth of games, accessories and peripherals,” explained Heather Harris as they were busy taking inventory of the growing piles of donations. More is still needed of course and Coin-Op TV Live will be helping to get the community involved on their show Thursdays in December. Rob Welkner stated “Whatever I can do to help, I’ll do,” when discussing the show’s support. Anyone can join in our campaign easily by watching Rob and Hailey on theStream.tv each Thursday at 8:00pm Pacific Time.

To be a part of the month-long campaign to collect games and accessories for the Teen Lounge of the Mattel Children’s Hospital of UCLA, please go the Gamers United’s official site and watch Coin-Op TV Live on Thursdays. You can also donate via Paypal and the funds will go towards the long list of needs these young patients need.

Supporters can follow Gamers United on Twitter for more update @Gamers_United or become a fan on Facebook.

About Gamers United:

Gamers United emerged in 2007 after what seemed to be a never-ending barrage of attacks from the press about the evils of gaming. From murderous mothers to the Virginia Tech Massacre, law enforcement, the media and society alike were searching for answers and video gaming seemed to be in the proverbial bullseye. A group of gamers decided to pool the resources of their various organizations to come together and highlight the positive of gaming to the media. From there, the philanthropy took on a life of its own and has grown into an organization dedicated to giving back and highlighting all the best in video gaming and its gamers. Whether donating to a children's hospital or coordinating speaking engagements at schools, we believe there is always a way to give back.

Gamers United is back again and this year will host its party in honor of the Teen Lounge of Mattel Children’s Hospital of UCLA. The organizations choosing to be involved with Gamers United each truly believe in the value of giving back to young gamers, especially those who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity.

This year’s beneficiary, Mattel Children’s Hospital of UCLA, was chosen because hospitals are always in need of support from its community, particularly children’s hospitals. “When I called and found out they had a teen lounge whose gaming equipment was in disrepair and just need an upgrade, I was decided – this was the organization I wanted to fight for this year,” says Chastity Irizarry, founding member. Gamers United will be helping to rejuvenate the teen lounge and pay special attention to the often overlooked ‘tween and teen sector of pediatrics. Amy Bullock, Child Life – Child Development of the hospital stated, “The equipment in our lounge gets a high rate of use and our equipment is donated so we are happy to be able to work with Gamers United for the patients.”

Last year guests from Activision, Top Cow, Electronic Arts, Women in Gaming International, Dennis Rodman and more came to join in the high energy of this unique gathering.

Already on board, we are happy to welcome back the Custom Hotel, Nyko Technologies, Gaming Angels, Mimoco and Pwned. New to the mix this year is Coin-Op TV, World Cyber Games, Nfamous Gamers and the cast of Hellywood.

While the year hasn't ended (yet), Gamers United closed 2008 on a celebratory high note. The holiday social at the Custom Hotel was host to over a hundred people from the gaming world. Though the weather outside (and did we mention LA traffic) was frightful, the fire (and the company) was so delightful. Every attendee had to brave the cold and hours of traffic in order to make the event and they still showed up with smiles on their faces and toys in their hands. The Toys for Tots toy drive was an amazing success!

The Custom Hotel prepared a beautiful and casual setting where attendees could sit, drink, converse and even, yes, play. The ultra cool interior setting was perfect for the eclectic bunch who wanted to mingle and enjoy the evening. The biggest attraction of the night - the sheep. The Custom Hotel had sheep set up as décor in the lounge that quickly became a focal point for conversation and photo ops. They were the celebrities on a night full of gaming stars. Gratefully, the sheep were unharmed during the event.

Another highlight of the evening was the Marines. They arrived (a little late) after fighting over 2 hours of traffic in their service blues and commanded the attention of the room. They got to talk with some of the gamers and get some Rock Band in before having to depart with over 2 large boxes full of toys from the donations. They stated that year had been slow thus far, most likely due to the current state of the economy so "seeing a turn out like this is great for the program."

While event coordinator, Chastity "NuyoRiquena" Irizarry of JC Media worked closely with Media Partner, Gaming Angels and Community Partner, GamerVixens, she said, "It couldn't have been done without the support of all of our partners and supporters." She adds, "I am happy to see everyone came out in spite of the weather for the kiddies." Other sponsors included Nyko, Smart Monkey Entertainment, girlGamer, Mimoco, Women in Games International, and Pwned.

Who needs a DJ when a crowd can entertainment themselves and provide music for everyone? Only gamers can successfully merge a high end atmosphere with a video game. Thanks to Women in Games International, everyone had a chance to entertain the crowd with Rock Band. The event greeter, and youngest attendee (only for the first hour), kicked off the festivities with the inaugural song. Afterwards, even the usually stoic Marines joined in the merriment.

The evening was one of excellent conversation and great friends for a noble cause in a first-class manner. As Cricket Lee added, "I could get used to this!" Gamers United pulled in hundreds of dollars in toys and cash for Toys for Tots thanks to the combined donations from so many. Also of note, Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls fame also made a last minute appearance. The next event, currently slated for Spring 2009, is sure to be a even bigger success. "We want to keep growing and expanding and I can’t wait to see what’s next," Chastity said at the end of the night. Whatever happens next, we will be there.

For over a decade, Nyko has been helping enhance the gamer lifestyle and now they want to add to a child’s life as well. They have officially agreed to be a part of the celebration in honor of the Toys for Tots program on Wednesday, 17 December 2008. Nyko has always been a great supporter of the gaming community and they are showing Los Angeles how much they care by donating to the Toys for Tots program through Gamers United. To find out more about Nyko, please visit their official site: Nyko.com

Nyko Technologies® develops, manufactures and markets innovative peripherals to enhance the digital lifestyle. The company’s mission is to deliver products that solve problems and improve user experience for work and play. Nyko specializes in interactive entertainment, computing, consumer electronics, portable audio, as well as online and wireless technologies. The company has distribution through major U.S. and Canadian retailers, along with distributors worldwide.