Club Penguin Kicks off 6th Annual Charity Program in #1 Virtual World for Kids

Coins for Change Event Introduces Kids to Social Good Through Online Play

Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, December 20, 2012 – Club Penguin players are changing the world through online play this holiday season as part of the sixth annual Coins for Change event. Running from December 20 to January 2, the Coins for Change program helps players celebrate the true meaning of the holidays by donating the virtual coins that they earn playing games online in Club Penguin to real-world causes that matter to them. For this year’s event, Club Penguin will host the biggest virtual bake sale ever, with players baking millions of in-game cookies and then buying cookies using their virtual coins to determine where Club Penguin will contribute its annual $1M USD donation.

Penguins can participate in the virtual bake sale by visiting the all new bakery and cooking up three different kinds of cookies to benefit Coins for Change. At the end of the event, players’ virtual donations from the bake sale will serve as votes to determine how Club Penguin will divide its $1M USD contribution among the pre-selected charitable projects.  The votes determine the percentage of donations made in three areas: providing medical help, building safe places and protecting the earth. 

To reward players for participating in Coins for Change, when they virtually buy the special bake sale cookies, they will be transformed into new holiday characters for a short period of time. All players can transform into toy cars, while members are rewarded by transforming into reindeer puffles and ‘frost bites,’ which allow them to temporarily freeze in-world items.

“Over the past six years, Coins for Change has inspired our players to take action and make a difference in the lives of millions of kids and families all over the world,” said Chris Heatherly, head of Club Penguin. “We hope this year’s Coins for Change virtual bake sale empowers our players to start similar programs and make a positive difference in their local communities.”

Through programs like Coins for Change, Club Penguin has given a total of $9M USD to charities all over the world, and will cross the $10M USD donation mark later this year, further raising social consciousness among the more than 175 million players who take part in the online community. In last year’s Coins for Change event, kids donated over 10 billion coins to help make the world a better place. As a result of these generous in-world contributions kids have made to Coins for Change, Club Penguin has already helped an excess of one million people in more than 42 countries by funding projects such as:

• 20 schools built for over 20,000 children 
• 25 school libraries built for over 50,000 children
• 27 playgrounds for over 85,000 children
• 33 clean water projects for over 50,000 children & families
• Youth engagement & education programs around the world for over 1,000,000 children & families

Club Penguin Coins for Change Bake Sale Kit

About Club Penguin

Club Penguin (http://www.clubpenguin.com), is the #1 virtual world for children. Club Penguin works to maintain a fun and safe online entertainment experience by using filtering technology and live moderators. The award-winning virtual world of Club Penguin contains no third-party advertising and is free to use and enjoy, however a subscription membership provides access to additional features that enhance the play experience. Club Penguin, headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, is enjoyed by children around the world, and can be played in English, German, Portuguese, French and Spanish.