Extra Life, a Charity Gaming Fundraiser for Children’s Hospitals, Experienced Multiple DDoS Attacks on their Annual Fundraising Day
Extra Life, a Charity Gaming Fundraiser for Children’s Hospitals, Experienced Multiple DDoS Attacks on their Annual Fundraising Day
During their 11th annual Game Day, cyber-attacks shut down donation access to DonorDrive, their fundraising platform.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — On November 2, 2019, a day that was set to raise millions for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals through veteran charity gaming fundraising program, Extra Life experienced multiple DDoS attacks to DonorDrive, the charity’s fundraising platform.
Extra Life is a gaming-focused peer-to-peer fundraising program benefitting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® (CMN Hospitals). Extra Life raises funds and awareness for 170 children’s hospitals in the United States and Canada. Since its inception in 2008, Extra Life participants (Extra Lifers) have raised more than $55 million for children’s hospitals.
Extra Life utilizes the power of gaming (both online and offline) to help raise vital funds for children’s hospitals. Through key events and initiatives, Extra Life empowers participants to “Play Games, Heal Kids,” through charity gaming for their selected children’s hospital.
One key event is their annual Game Day where thousands of Extra Life participants and partners including Game Informer, Giant Bomb, Bungie (Game2Give) among others stream and host in real life fundraising events to benefit their selected CMN Hospital. This year on Extra Life’s annual Game Day on November 2, multiple DDoS cyber-attacks shut down the charity’s fundraising platform, DonorDrive.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals estimates the DDoS cyber-attacks cost the charity $1 million on their Game Day fundraiser. Despite the loss, President and CEO of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is confident in the Extra Life community and its incredible supporters.
“While we are very upset and saddened at this attack on the children’s hospitals that Extra Life supports, we are grateful for the patience and perseverance the Extra Life community has shown during this setback,” said John Lauck President and CEO of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. “We’re hopeful that donors will rally in the next two months to support our dedicated Extra Lifer gamers who are playing games to help heal kids.”
Funds raised through Extra Life go to support kids treated at one of the 170 children’s hospitals that are under the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals umbrella, kids like Logan. Logan receives ongoing care at his CMN Hospital for Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Merosin-deficient.
Funds donated through programs like Extra Life help Logan and his family with transportation costs to travel to and from the hospital. They also help him as he continually faces numerous risks associated with his condition including respiratory illnesses, scoliosis, seizures and contractures of the joints. He visits specialists at multiple Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to ensure he receives the best care.
Extra Life 2019 remains open until Dec 31, 2019, and is accepting donations until the end of the year, with the hope to recoup this $1 million loss.
For up-to-date information on this please visit extra-life.org and follow Extra Life on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About Extra Life
Extra Life unites thousands of gamers around the world to play games in support of their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Since its inception in 2008, Extra Life has raised over $55 million USD for sick and injured kids. Sign up today and dedicate a day of play for kids in your community!
About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $5 billion, most of it $1 at a time through the charity’s Miracle Balloon icon. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit’s mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Find out why children’s hospitals need community support, and learn about your member hospital, at CMNHospitals.org and facebook.com/CMNHospitals.
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CONTACT:
Brooke Johnson at bjohnson@cmnhospitals.
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