Press Release: 1999-09-09: HOLIDAYS ON HEAT Program Brings Summer Relief to National Children's Charity

This is an unaltered copy of a press release, for use as a primary source on Sega Retro. Please do not edit the contents below. Language: English Original source: SegaSoft (archived)

Online gamers help generate more than $11,000 for the Child Welfare League of America with last season's HOLIDAYS ON HEAT Degrees Donation Drive

SAN FRANCISCO (September 9, 1999) - The spirit of giving is alive and well at HEAT.NET, the world's largest core online gaming community with over 1.8 million members, where players donated Degrees™, HEAT.NET frequent-player points, this past holiday season to help abused and neglected children nationwide. HEAT.NET matched the monetary value of the Degrees donated by registered Premium members and today presented a check in the amount of $11,200 to the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), a national children's charity based in Washington D.C. 

"The charity idea came directly from members of the HEAT.NET community," said Matt Callaway, HEAT.NET's director of community development. "The donation initiative is just one demonstration of the power of the HEAT.NET community. Everyday they prove to us that HEAT.NET belongs to the members and it means a lot more than just playing games. We're proud to help the HEAT.NET community support the outreach efforts of CWLA." 

CWLA, a federation of more than 1,000 public and private nonprofit agencies serving over three million abused and neglected children and their families each year, launched its 10-year campaign - Protecting America's Children: It's Everybody's Business - in 1997 to stop child abuse and neglect. Liz Loden, director of CWLA's Protecting America's Children campaign says that, regardless of age, there is a role for everyone to play. 

"CWLA is grateful for HEAT's generosity and excited that young people care enough to get involved in helping their peers understand, at such an early age, that it's important to give back," said Loden. "This growing relationship gives both HEAT.NET and CWLA not only the opportunity to raise funds for an important issue, but also to reach millions of young people with positive messages and resources to keep them healthy, safe and thriving." 

HEAT.NET is the only service that pays its members to play, rewarding them with Degrees points for participating in games, viewing online ads and entering tournaments and other activities. Degrees are redeemable for goods and services at participating online merchants as well as on the HEAT site (www.heat.net) itself. The Degrees Donation Drive was part of a 5-week events line-up, entitled HOLIDAYS ON HEAT. Since its launch in 1997, HEAT.NET has attracted a loyal following of more than 1.8 million core PC gamers, two thirds of who are 25 or younger.

About the Child Welfare League of America

Established in 1920, the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), is recognized internationally as the standard-setter for child welfare services. CWLA is a 1000-plus member agency that provides a wide range of services including child protection; foster care; kinship care; adoption; child day care; service to support and strengthen families; and services to protect youth from HIV infection, adolescent pregnancy, and substance abuse. In 1997, CWLA launched Protecting America's Children: It's Everybody's Business, a 10-year national campaign to stop child abuse and neglect. Visit CWLA's Website at http://www.cwla.com.

ABOUT HEAT.NET

HEAT.NET (www.heat.net) is the free online multi-player gaming service with the largest selection of games. HEAT.NET combines the best selection of multi-player PC games (over 115 are featured) with a thriving community of online gamers (1.8 million) and offers hundreds of competitive online gaming events and unique competitive features including the only rewards system for online gamers (frequent player points known as Degrees). While gameplay is free for all members, Premium membership allows players to redeem their frequent player points for prizes and make purchases in the HEAT.NET store. Premium members can also wager their points against one another in games of skill. HEAT.NET is the exclusive games provider for the @Home Network and the premiere games provider for Road Runner cable modem customers. HEAT.NET also operates the HEAT Collegiate Internet Gaming League (www.heatcigl.net) which features representatives from over 400 colleges and universities in North America.

ABOUT SEGASOFT NETWORKS INC.

SegaSoft Networks, Inc. (SNI) develops and operates online gaming services and technology, including its flagship service HEAT.NET. Located in San Francisco, SNI is a privately held company whose shareholders include CSK and Sega Enterprises. For more information about SNI please visit www.segasoft.com.

SegaSoft, HEAT, HEAT.NET and Degrees are trademarks of SegaSoft Networks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.