Sign up for the Gameblast gaming marathon for charity now

No doubt if you're reading this you think yourself a gamer. Maybe even a good one. But could you go for 24 hours or more in the name of charity? That's what Special Effect is hoping to get you to do for its Gameblast event over the February weekend.

Special Effect is a charity that helps adults and children with special needs have fun playing games, by loaning out games and hardware to people with disabilities, developing eye movement controlled input systems and funding roadshows that showcase its technologies. It helps people like Callum, who's BMX accident left him paralysed from the shoulders down. Now though, thanks to the efforts of Special Effect, he's able to game again because it adapted a joystick on the PS3 that he can control with his chin. [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejPzD3o8aOs']

Of course to do all this good work though, Special Effect needs money, which is where you come in. Set to take place throughout the whole month of February, though specifically on the 21st-23rd weekend, Gameblast charges you with gaming straight for 24 hours (or as long as you can manage) whilst being sponsored by friends and family.

So what do you have to do to take part? The Special Effect website gives the following instructions:

• Set yourself a fundraising target
• Register your team (or yourself, if you're gaming solo) using the form (found here).
• Create a page for your fundraising at www.justgiving.com 
• Link it up to our GameBlast JustGiving team page by clicking ‘join the team' at www.justgiving.com/teams/gameblast/
• Encourage your sponsors to donate!

The charity also goes to lengths to be pretty inclusive with its parameters. There's no limit on what games you can play, on what platform, or in what location – just play some games and get some money. You don't even need to have a big target in mind, though Special Effect suggests you do set one as it makes it more likely people will donate to help you break that threshold.

KitGuru Says: If any of you guys want to take part, or even make a KitGuru team, let us know and we'll make sure to promote it right here on the main site. You can reach me at [email protected] with info. 

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