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“While we’re in the video game business, we’re also a company that’s incredibly committed to giving back to organisations that honor and assist veterans and those that have served our country,” – North America GM Jeremy Monroe.

You can find the official announcement and more details about the bundles here: worldoftanks.com

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4 years ago we created this as a way to allow gamers to give back to society somehow. Today, we know that it can do so much more! We are educating people all over the world about different diseases, causes and events. We are creating a community support and network for each other. Most importantly we are breaking the stereotypes against gamers that we all don’t care about the world around us…which is simply not true!

So again, thank you for your support in all that we do and if you are ever thinking about doing your own event, don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help you! See you all in October for our next event, Pink Day in LA.

Cheers,

Rhonda aka M A L I B U Barbie and the Gamer’s Giving Back Krewe

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The Scavenger Hunt will be announced in-game and all entries most be emailed to scavenger@gw-en.com by 4 p.m CDT. All participants will be entered in a drawing to determine the winner unless of course we only have one person who can come up with the correct answers. Although the Queen assures me her subjects are up to the task and we will have many would be heroes that participate. A winner will be selected from both the American and European servers. Be sure to include which server you are on either American or European. The gem code will be emailed to you in-game so be sure to include your account name, example – JoePlumber.1564

Knowledge of the Gods

1.) The statue of Grenth carries a sickle in his hands?
2.) The statue of Melandru depicts a beautiful woman?
3.) The statue of Dwayna has her arms folded across chest?
4.) The statue of Lyssa depicts two women?
5.) How many wolves were sculpted in the statue of Balthazar?
6.) All the statues of the gods have inscriptions written by Malchor even the god Komir?

The written word ( the answers can be found around the city in various books and tomes )

1.) “Margonites, A history of their civilization before the fall.” What Quarter of Divinitys Reach is this book found in?
2.) “The Natural War” is a book which describes what?
3.) The book “Ancient Heroes of Ascalon:Asgard’s Final Stand” is found in what quarter in Divinitys Reach?
4.) The book “Cures for what Ales You” is a book about what?
5.) Who is the foremost scholar on the clash between humans and centaurs?

Good luck you searchers of knowledge and in your travels may you see and learn more about our great city.

- Queen Jennah

UPDATE: Congratulations to Gen Kidama and Adara Morrigan you were the winners! You will be contacted via email with your prize!!

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To commemorate the festivities of the Toga Party here within Divinity’s Reach I have decided to dedicate a special scavenger hunt within the city walls itself. On the day of the party I shall give the crowd clues and instructions to seek out knowledge about Divinity’s Reach and things here within our great city. Just like the heroes of old you shall have to find the answers to the clues and questions presented and return to me with those answers. I have opened up the royal coffers and have arranged for the winner to receive gems from the Black Lion Trading Company. Knowledge and awareness of one’s abilities and things they can search out to solve their problems should always be in the fore front of any heroes’ minds. So today I give you the Queen’s Scavenger Hunt and ask that this day be dedicated to seeking out knowledge to help ourselves and those around us.

Prizes – The winner of the scavenger hunt will receive a gem card for in-game gem stones. There will be a winner for both the American and European servers. This contest is not a first come winner take all event. Everyone who successfully completes the event will be entered into a drawing for the gem cards.

Be sure to check the Gamer’s Giving Back and GW-EN website the day of the Toga Party for the actual scavenger hunt and all the details. Knowledge and co-operation is the key to winning any battle. Be sure to help with our battle against MS and good luck with this years events !

- Written by feathers

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Multiple Sclerosis is a progressive disease that affects the central nervous system. The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. Together they are responsible for sending and receiving signals, much like a processing centre, which controls each function of the body.  One of the building blocks to the nervous system are neurons (a nerve cell). Unlike other cells the body, neurons can transmit information. There are several parts that make up a neuron but the important part to understand (in regards to Multiple Sclerosis) is myelin. The material that forms a layer around the axon (an elongated nerve fibre) is called the myelin sheath. Think of it like a cable, you have a long wire (the axon) that is covered by insulation (myelin sheath) transmitting electricity (signals) from one place to another.

With Multiple Sclerosis, the immune system mistakes the myelin for a foreign body and attacks it. This causes damage to the myelin sheath and leaves the nerve fibre it was protecting exposed, either partially or completely. The damage left can distort, slow down or even prevent signals from passing through the cell, which is what causes the varied symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. In some cases the nerve fibre itself is damaged which is was causes the accumulation of disability for some MS sufferers.

Once you understand what MS is doing inside the body, you can see why everyone reacts differently. The nervous system is responsible for many functions, so different things will be disrupted and depending on the extent of the damage, the degree of the symptoms will vary. The affect can be physical, resulting in vision problems, balance problems and fatigue, for example. It can also affect your emotions, memory and general thinking. Some symptoms are more common then others but overall there is no set list of things to look out for. This is why it can be hard to diagnose MS and often takes a long time to do so.

There is no known cause for Multiple Sclerosis and no known cure. This is why research is so important and why Gamers Giving Back hosts the MS Toga party event. By helping raise awareness and encouraging people to donate to the MS Society, we hope to contribute to further research and help support those currently suffering from Multiple Sclerosis.

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Jeannie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer the year that GW-EN first took over Pink Day in La. I recall speaking to her about it soon after and telling her that we are going to work together to find a cure for cancer and to stay strong. Her sister was also suffering from breast cancer at the time, so she was already worrying about her. I can’t imagine worrying about my sister and then being diagnosed myself.

No matter what we were doing or how she was feeling, Sadie supported us. Last year, during Pink Day in La, she was going through Chemotherapy and she STILL managed to come out and show her support for the cause. What an amazing woman.  She loved Guild Wars and was so excited about Guild Wars 2. She really was the most amazing fan.

When she lost her hair, I told her she was beautiful and sent her a Guild Wars 2 bandana to help her get through that moment in her life. I will never in my life find a more dedicated player or fan to Guild Wars.

It is with great sadness that she passed away – but she will not be forgotten by any of us. To commemorate her life and honour her dedication to GW-EN and to the Guild Wars Community, Arenanet will be changing Rosa Salvitas to the name of Sadie and the vials of Pink Dye will be known as “Sadie’s Dye” from here on out. This will be something to keep your eye out for on in October, but there will be an unveiling of it during the 8^th year anniversary of Guild Wars itself.

You were and still are our inspiration, you will watch over us and we will find a cure for cancer Sadie – One Gamer At a Time.

Love,

-Rhonda aka M A L I B U Barbie and Your GW-EN Family

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Marathon Gamers on Facebook
Marathon Gamers on Twitter

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The man behind the operation is Captain (now retired) Stephen “Shanghai Six” Machuga. From personal experience (having spent two years deployed overseas) Stephen Machuga felt that although people had their hearts in the right place, many didn’t understand what the soldiers wanted or needed. As he explains, while serving in Iraq he received a care package full of used romance novels from a library. Unsurprisingly no one had any interest in them and subsequently they were used for target practice to test firing captured small arms. It was at this moment Machuga had the idea that ultimately lead to Operation Supply Drop being created. When he isn’t busy running the show, you might find him playing League of Legends because in his own words “I really love the strategy behind the game as well as the e-Sports scene behind it.”

A driving force behind this operation is to raise awareness and help tackle the mental health issues often being swept under the carpet.

“We’re not just about getting video games to soldiers, its about helping them out. The soldiers downrange need help making it through their deployment with smiles on their faces and not worried about “364 days and a wakeup” before they come back home. The soldier suicide rate is sky-rocketing between deployment depression and PTSD, and anything we can do to help them keep their minds off where they’re at and what they’re doing is a job well done on our part.” – Stephen Machuga

The number of men and women suffering from some form of mental illness after being deployed is rising according to many different reports in the media. Attitudes towards treating the issue and simply discussing the problem is starting to change. With action from groups like Operation Supply Drop, the message is starting to reach a wider audience which can only (hopefully) lead to more being done to tackle it.

“More U.S. military personnel have died by suicide since the war in Afghanistan began than have died fighting there.” – The War On Suicide? TIME (Magazine)

Is the answer in video games? The issue is far too complex to be instantly solved by one solution and approach, however Stephen Machuga strongly believes video games help.

“Gaming has been proven to help combat soldiers with PTSD, combat stress and nightmares as well as helping soldiers recovering from serious injuries sustained in the field. ” – Stephen Machuga

It is not just Machuga, as proven by the letters Operation Supply Drops receive, the soldiers, the subject of this very topic, seem to concur. Here are some snippets from the thank you letters to give you an example:

“It was a mad house in our office the night we opened the package and started handing out games, smiles were on everyone’s faces, a much needed change of pace in the deployment, and a notable difference in attitudes.” Jaron – Operation Crimson Omen

“Totally mind blown, that would be about the best description for us right now. All of you at OSD have made the impossible possible and for that we are so thankful.” Tyler – Operation Four Horsemen

Operation Supply Drop has been continuously trying and succeeding for over two years now to provide these care packages. It is not always easy however as they are not always taken seriously enough. Many game developers and publishers have stepped up and supported Operation Supply Drop, as you can see by the list of sponsors on the website. Individuals have donated and awareness is slowly being raised, yet “…it’s still a daily push to get donations in for these care packages” Machuga tells me.

Even though the current scheduled end of combat operations in Afghanistan is in 2014, it does not mean the end of Operation Supply Drop. There is also a focus on helping soldiers as they return home and soldiers stationed in non-wartime hostile zones.

If you’d like to help the the current operation you can follow these steps outlined on the Operation Supply Drop website:

1) Use the Paypal link on the front of Front Towards Gamer.com OR
2) Use the Paypal link on the front page of Operation Supply Drop.org OR
3) Make a Paypal direct donation to donations@operationsupplydrop.org.
4) If you don’t want to send cash, you can simply send your used games or gear to the following address to make the next care package:

Operation Supply Drop
9301 Alvyn Lake Circle
Bristow VA, 20136

Getting the word out and helping raise awareness can be just as powerful, so a tweet or a message on Facebook would also help. As you have just read above, it really does make a difference to the men and women serving.

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