Sony Online Entertainment Donates $25,000 to Support American Red Cross Aid Efforts in Haiti

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the holiday weekend, Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) rallied its player community and raised $25,000 to donate to the American Red Cross' aid efforts in Haiti in the wake of last week's tragedy.

"In just three days we were able to reach our goal of $25,000 and it's all because of the generosity of our players," said John Smedley, president of Sony Online Entertainment. "They really stepped up for a good cause and we're proud to lend support to the estimated 3 million Haitians affected by the recent earthquakes."

SOE supported emergency relief efforts to help those affected by the Haiti earthquake by donating $10 for every Haiti Relief item purchased in EverQuest® (EQ), EverQuest® II (EQII) and Free Realms™ to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development fund. Haiti Relief items included the Haiti Relief Plush Bear in EQ, the Protectors of the Faydark Crate in EQII and Zando, the spiked T-Rex pet, in Free Realms.  Items were available from January 15-18 in the in-game Marketplace for 500 Station Cash™ (SC), SOE's in-game currency.  Assistance provided by the American Red Cross may include sending relief supplies, mobilizing relief workers and providing financial resources.

Raising funds for the American Red Cross is the second charity project of 2010 for SOE, which just finished up a month-long drive for Child's Play, a charity dedicated to providing children with toys and age-appropriate games at more than 70 hospitals worldwide.  Due to the kindness of its player community, SOE was able to donate $26,900.

For more information, please visit www.station.com or www.redcross.org.

About Sony Online Entertainment

Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games which have entertained millions of players around the globe. SOE creates and delivers compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchise EverQuest®, its successful online trading card game Legends of Norrath®, as well as the recent kids' phenomenon Free Realms™, SOE continues to raise the bar for online gaming and players worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, with additional studios in Austin, Seattle, Denver, Tucson, and Taiwan, SOE has a slate of engaging, high-quality games currently in development across new genres for all platforms and audiences.

About American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nation's blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization — not a government agency — and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

The American Red Cross name and emblem are used with its permission, which in no way constitutes an endorsement, express or implied, of any product, service, company, opinion or political position.  The American Red Cross logo is a registered trademark owned by the American Red Cross.

Haiti Relief and Development

Sony Online Entertainment is supporting emergency relief efforts to help those affected by the Haiti earthquake by donating $10 for every EQ Plush Bear, EQ II Protectors of the Faydark Crate, and FR Zando sold, to the American Red Cross from 1/15/10 until 1/18/10, the Red Cross will receive a maximum donation of $25,000.00. Assistance provided by the American Red Cross may include sending relief supplies, mobilizing relief workers and providing financial resources.

For more information about the American Red Cross, please visit www.redcross.org.  

SOURCE Sony Online Entertainment LLC