The recent bushfires throughout Victoria have hit thousands of Aussies hard and taken the greatest cost of all, the lives of neighbours, friends and family. With CFA, Police, Ambulance staff and the Army still working around the clock to help reduce further loss of life and property, we’re all left in complete awe at their bravery. As a gaming site, we’re fully aware of our general unimportance when it comes to the ‘real world’, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t look outside the window or turn on the news. The disaster in Victoria is… just that, a disaster, and these people are in real need of help right now. .
So we put the collective minds of Xbox World Australia, Pixel Hunt and Vooks together and came up with this little idea – Hire for the Fires. While we're not normally one for gratuitous plugs there’s no doubt that organisations like Red Cross and the staff and volunteers that work there are needed more than ever in times like these. Their dedication to assisting the people of Kinglake, Marysville, Strathewen and the other bushfire areas cannot be overlooked. So how about it? Instead of spending $100 on a game this weekend, rent it instead and donate the other $95 to helping out fellow Australians. If you can’t afford it, don’t feel bad as there’s other ways to contribute. It doesn’t have to much or it could just be your thoughts. Whilst the main need at the moment is money, burns victims will require blood for surgery. If you can’t afford to donate the cost of a game, perhaps head down to your local blood bank and give blood. At the moment the initial need for burns victims is plasma, but in 4-6 weeks time when many of these people will need surgery, blood will be needed. To donate to the Red Cross head to the Red Cross (credit card) website. The Commonwealth Bank has an appeal going at their website (non-credit card). For information on how to donate blood, please head to www.donateblood.com.au Every little bit helps. If even a few dozen XBW, Pixel Hunt and Vooks readers do this, that’s a few thousand dollars to go towards helping these people rebuild their lives. To all our visitors and readers in the area, we are thinking of you in this tough time. Daniel Vuckovic - Vooks Dylan Burns – PixelHunt Shane Bryan – Xbox World Australia Picture: News.com.au