God, I hate writing this story. Not because it’s a fantastic, incredible, amazing effort, but because it would only have happened this way because of a terrible tragedy. Five-year-old Sarah Marie Alida Parries was a huge fan of Mech Warrior Online, playing the game with her father on a regular basis. Sarah loved the game, it excited and motivated her, and it helped further strengthen the bond between herself and her father, Jon.
Then heartbreak occurred when Sarah passed away during her battle with cancer. As a father of a young child myself, this story hits me in all of the emotional places that only a parent has, especially since my daughter also loves playing video games with my wife and I.
But again, tragedy can sometimes beget great things, and Sarah’s courageous struggle can ultimately become something that will lead to hope for others.
MWO developer Piranha Games and publisher Infinite Games Publishing have teamed up with Sarah’s family to create a charity drive to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society. The concept was brought up and pushed for by the MWO community, which rallied around Sarah during her time of need. The idea: sell a special Mech created in Sarah’s memory for $10, with all proceeds going towards the CCS. The Mech, a custom Jenner Champion, is adorned with all manner of great, fun decals that reference the brave young girl and the things she loved, liked a big pink pony, a teddy bear, and rainbows.
It’s an incredible effort that has already surpassed $45,000 in donations, and will hopefully continue strong until its August 20th finale.
Go out and donate through the MWO website here: LINK TO SITE
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