For the 3rd year running now a group of our very own N-Europe forum members will be doing their bit to raise some money for the "Extra Life" charity by taking part in the now annual N-E Charity 24 Hour Gaming Marathon.

Starting tomorrow morning, Staurday the 20th of October, at 8am they will be "working" hard locked in a room full of TV's, consoles, handhelds, laptops and cameras. The N-E Team try to be as strict as they can when they say they will game for 24 hours straight. Basic rules once the marathon starts is any eating is to be done while still gaming and should "nature call" they will be sure to bring handhelds with them to play while away from the main room. And of course no sleep till the 24 hours are up!

This year the N-E event will take on a slightly international feel too as one of the regular members (and team captian), Adam "Flameboy" Ducker, has moved across the Atlantic to Canada. But that will not stop him, while the rest of the UK based team gather in one single location Adam will still do his part and do his Marathon in Canada starting (and finishing) 5 hours after the UK based team.

The whole event will be streamed live for all to see so that any donators to the cause can be sure that the crew do indeed continue gaming for the entire 24 hour period.

If you would like to sponsor any member or the team as a whole then click over to the N-Europe Extra Life Team Page to donate as little or as much as you can to help raise money for Extra Life and the Children's Hospitals they support.

If you would like to check out the live streams of the event or to follow the event on our Message Boards check out the links below. Maybe you could even set up a few online games with the team and take part with them!

• UK based team starting at 8am GMT
• Adam Ducker's Solo Stream from Canada starting 1pm GMT
• N-Europe Extra Life 2012 Forum Thread

Last year the team set a target of rasing $600 collectively and were able to beat that with a final total of $745.86 raised to benifit various Childrens Hospitals around the UK. The previous year in they first attempt at an Extra Life Marathon they raised $567. We at N-Europe wish them all the best and hope they can reach or surpass those figures... maybe they can with your help.

UPDATE:

And the 24 hours have passed and the crew are taking a well deserved sleep now. Current total raised stands at a very good $647.15 but remember just because the team have now done and finished their gaming marathon does not mean it is too late to donate. Donations can still be made up to the end of the year so if you weren't able to do so yesterday but find yourself with a bit extra in the next few months any new donations no matter how small would be most welcome. Remember 100% of the proceeds will go directly to helping childrens hospitals.

So what exactly is Extra Life and why should you care? Their website provides the back story to the origins of why the charity and the event were set up:

"Extra Life began in 2008 as a way of honoring a young lady named Victoria Enmon. Tori’s battle against acute lymphoblastic leukemia inspired the Sarcastic Gamer Community in a way that is difficult to describe. Members sent in video games and bought gifts to keep Tori’s spirits up despite numerous hospital stays and three bouts with the deadly disease.

Tragically, we lost Tori to cancer in January 2008. Later that year, I asked my partners at Sarcastic Gamer if they would be interested in Extra Life, a 24-hour video game marathon to raise money for the hospital that treated and fought beside Tori. In 2008 and 2009 Extra Life raised a combined $302,000, 100 percent of which went directly to help kids like Tori at my local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital (Texas Children’s Hospital).

While thousands of gamers, more than 100 websites and more than 12,000 donors were happy to support Extra Life, many expressed their desire to raise money to help kids closer to home. In what I can only consider destiny, in 2009 I left behind my radio career and went to work full-time for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as a Radiothon Director. This life-changing event gave me unique insight into an incredible non-profit organization that helps kids all over the United States and Canada.

I quickly realized that Children's Miracle Network Hospitals would be the perfect solution to expand Extra Life into more communities.

This year, when you sign up to play video games for 24 hours on Oct. 20, 2012, you won’t just be raising money for kids. You’ll be supporting LOCAL kids and their families. Kids right in your own backyard.

All the money you raise for Extra Life 2012 will go directly to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital of your choice."