[Dec. 22: As we approach Christmas and the midway point of this year’s Charity Drive, we’ve now raised over $18,000 from nearly 200 separate donations. Child’s Play is in the lead over EFF, approximately $9,600 to $8,400, for those who keep track of such things.

That’s a great start, but we still have a ways to go to beat last year’s $58,000 record. Read on below to find out how you can take part!]

If you’ve been too busy playing Halo Infinite to take part in this year’s Ars Technica Charity Drive sweepstakes, don’t worry. You still have time to donate to a good cause and get a chance to win your share of over $1,600 worth of swag (no purchase necessary to win).

So far this year, after just over three days, nearly 100 readers have donated nearly $9,000 to either the Electronic Frontier Foundation or Child’s Play as part of the charity drive (Child’s Play is leading in the donation totals by about $1,100, FWIW). That’s a long way off from last year’s record haul of over $58,000, but there’s still plenty of time until the Charity Drive wraps up on Jan. 7, 2022.

That doesn’t mean you should put your donation off, though. Do yourself and the charities involved a favor and give now, while you’re thinking about it. Don’t let it slip your mind and end up kicking yourself in January for not taking part.

See below for instructions on how to enter, and check out the Charity Drive kickoff post for a complete list of available prizes.

How it works

Donating is easy. Simply donate to Child’s Play using PayPal or donate to the EFF using PayPal, credit card, or Bitcoin. You can also support Child’s Play directly by picking an item from the Amazon wish list of a specific hospital on its donation page. Donate as much or as little as you feel comfortable with—every little bit helps.

Once that’s done, it’s time to register your entry in our sweepstakes. Just grab a digital copy of your receipt (a forwarded email, a screenshot, or simply a cut-and-paste of the text) and send it to ArsCharityDrive@gmail.com with your name, postal address, daytime telephone number, and email address by 11:59 pm ET Friday, January 7, 2022. (One entry per person, and each person can only win up to one prize. US residents only. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. See official rules for more information, including how to enter without making a donation. Also refer to the Ars Technica privacy policy.)

We’ll then contact the winners and have them choose their prize by January 31 (choosing takes place in the order the winners are drawn). Good luck!

Listing image by xJasonRogersx / Flickr

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