GRAPEVINE, Texas, Jan. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During the 2016 holiday season, GameStop, a global family of specialty retail brands that makes the most popular technologies affordable and simple, invited its customers and associates to be game changers by raising money and awareness for Make-A-Wish®. More than $2.4 million was raised through the fundraising campaign to help grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.
For the third annual in-store campaign, GameStop expanded its fundraising efforts on a global scale to include its ThinkGeek, Simply Mac and AT&T Spring Mobile stores in the U.S., and EB Games stores in Canada. The success of this year's campaign is a direct result of the generous giving spirit from these communities.
GameStop associates and customers were motivated by wish kid Stewart, who served as the Wish Kid Ambassador for the 2016 holiday campaign. Earlier this year, Stewart and his family were flown to Anaheim, Calif., under the guise of being the Wish Kid Ambassador, and instead was surprised on-stage in front of 5,000 GameStop associates that his wish to go behind-the-scenes and see how video games are made would be coming true the next day thanks to Activision!
"We set out in 2016 with a corporate social responsibility vision to use gaming, technology and geek fanaticism for the Power of Good," said Rob Lloyd, chief financial officer of GameStop and Make-A-Wish® North Texas board member. "Our holiday fundraising campaign demonstrates how collectively our associates and customers, across all our brands in the U.S. and Canada, are passionate about the great work Make-A-Wish does for children in need. We are excited to see what we can accomplish together for Make-A-Wish during 2017- the 10-year anniversary of our partnership."
GameStop has been a proud supporter of Make-A-Wish since 2007, raising nearly $6 million. Currently, an average of one wish kid per day specifically requests a shopping spree at GameStop as part of their wish. To date, more than 2,000 wish kids have benefited from GameStop's generosity through gift cards they provide to enhance these shopping sprees and electronics wishes.
"Research shows that a wish has a lasting and substantial impact on the emotional and physical health of children fighting critical illnesses," said David Williams, president and chief executive officer of Make-A-Wish America. "For 10 years, GameStop has continued to increase their support of our mission and our goal to reach every eligible child through this in-store campaign, hosting wishes daily, and enhancing the wish experience for thousands of wish kids. They have truly made a significant impact on the lives of wish kids and their families."
About GameStop
GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME), a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, is a global, multichannel video game, consumer electronics and wireless services retailer. GameStop operates more than 7,500 stores across 14 countries. The company's consumer product network also includes www.gamestop.com; www.Kongregate.com, a leading browser-based game site; Game Informer® magazine, the world's leading print and digital video game publication; and ThinkGeek, www.thinkgeek.com, the premier retailer for the global geek community featuring exclusive and unique video game and pop culture products. In addition, our Technology Brands segment includes Simply Mac and Spring Mobile stores. Simply Mac, www.simplymac.com, operates 70 stores, selling the full line of Apple products, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones and offering Apple certified warranty and repair services. Spring Mobile, www.springmobile.com, sells all of AT&T's products and services, including DIRECTV through its 1,429 AT&T branded stores and offers pre-paid wireless services, devices and related accessories through its 70 Cricket branded stores in select markets in the U.S.
General information about GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website. Follow @GameStop on Twitter and find GameStop on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GameStop.
About Make-A-Wish®
Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true has positive impacts on the health of children. Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illness, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Headquartered in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world's leading children's charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 28,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 35 minutes. It has granted more than 270,000 wishes since its inception in 1980; more than 14,800 in 2015 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at www.wish.org to learn more.
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SOURCE Make-A-Wish Foundation of America
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