Supporting Charity

Within the virtual worlds that Syndicate members play, there is a focus on giving back to the communities that we are a part of. That focus extends beyond the virtual worlds, into the 'real world' where Syndicate members regularly participate in and support charities. At an individual and small group level, Syndicate members actively participate in a large number of walks/runs (such as the Suicide Prevention Walk or various Race for the Cure type walks) while representing The Syndicate; as well as participating in Fund Raisers and Habitat For Humanity and other charitable works. Syndicate members are inherently disposed towards giving back to the communities they are a part of.

As such, it should be no surprise that at a larger organizational level, we work to support various charities. That support ranges from 'online' activities such as signing petitions and raising awareness to support charity all the way to donating money towards charitable organizations. At SyndCon each year, The Syndicate holds a raffle. The raffle is composed of prizes donated by Game Developers and Hardware Manufacturers (such as Alienware, Qualcomm and Plantronics) along with some items purchased from pooled member funds and items donated by members themselves. That collection of items becomes the annual raffle. The proceeds from the raffle are then donated to charities we support.

Currently we are supporting three organizations. The first is the Boys and Girls Club. Specifically we support the Evanston, Wyoming branch of the club. We formerly supported Youth Opportunity Unlimited out of Evanston. Budget cuts at the local government level eliminated enough funding that they had to close. The Boys and Girls club stepped in to fill the community need and our support shifted to them. The second is the "Buddy Walk" of South Caroline. This is an annual event hosted by the Family Connections to raise awareness and raise funds to support research into a cure for Down Syndrome. And finally we support the American Cancer Society. The Syndicate has lost several members to cancer and has had additional members win their battles with cancer so we have a strong interest in supporting research towards a cure.