Children's Hospital launches "Game-a-thon"

Children's Hospital Boston said its Generation Cures initiative has launched a "Game for Good" game-a-thon for tweens as part of its fund-raising efforts.

The two-month competition lets "tweens use their gaming powers for good to fuel the discovery of cures and treatments for serious childhood diseases," the hospital said in a press release that included the photo that accompanies this post.

Just as they do in traditional fund-raising initiatives like walk-a-thons, "kids raise money by securing sponsors to reward their efforts in support of a good cause," the press release said. "However, with the game-a-thon model, kids can change the world right from their own homes as adult sponsors support their progress in an educational-adventure game on the Generation Cures site. While they have fun and learn, tweens are making a big difference for peers who are facing serious health issues."

The game is called the Caduceus Game, and it features a "virtual world where they take on the role of young healers tracking down the source of a mysterious plague," the press release said. "As they solve scientific puzzles, tweens experience the same hurdles that real doctors and scientists face in their work. They are challenged to track down the source of the disease, isolate its causes and mix and match ingredients to find a cure."

Children’s Hospital Boston announced the launch of Generation Cures last year, and it described the initiative as a Web-based philanthropic community designed for tweens and their parents to raise financial support for pediatric medical research.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)