As I was buying my badge for PAX Prime 2011 I was thinking: I’ve always wanted to do some project for Child’s Play, but I can’t bake worth a damn, there’s nobody in my vicinity I can drag into a series of masochistic gaming marathons, and I can’t bundle a stupefyingly awesome collection of products together for an enticing price. 

But I can design T-shirts that people aren’t entirely embarrassed to be seen in. Hmm.

I’ve also always wanted to express my affection for the PAX Enforcers, which, Mike and Jerry’s influence aside, I think may be the magic ingredient that makes PAX have that special air that I have never found any other time and place in my entire life. At the Q&A Panels, Jerry’s often said that their role in PAX is simply creating a vessel that the community fills with capital-A Awesome. The PAX community is amazing, and I strongly believe it is the Enforcers that keep that Awesome flowing smoothly and the forces of Dicketry at bay for the blissful days I spend there each year. They are the anointed knights of Wheaton’s Law and I think as PAX grows their job becomes more and more essential.

So what if I did a T-shirt design that celebrated the Enforcers and set that up to funnel money into Child’s Play? This…this could work.

Here’s the plan:
These shirts are priced at cost + two dollars:

100% of that two dollars goes to Child’s Play, plus I’ll match each donation up to $100. I may go higher than that, but in case this blows up, I don’t want to be That Guy Who Reneged on a Charity, and I’m not swimming in Scrooge McDuck’s gold deblunes. So, I set a cap. 

Anyone who wants to join in matching those purchase-donations, just let me know at pax2011@patrickcentral.com, and I’ll work out the paperwork with you. It’ll be like a walkathon, except nobody has to get out of their chair, and people get T-Shirts instead of walking miles. That seems appropriately PAX to me. Maybe there can be special versions of the shirts for those who sign up as donation matchers. I don’t really want to entice people with perks, but I want to make this a big check.

I thought about making the amount per shirt more than two dollars, but I want to try and make the shirts affordable enough that people want to buy them in numbers - I’m open to suggestions on where the sweet spot is on the math there. If it’s five bucks, great. 

Spreadshirt’s Flex prints are incredibly strong and durable, don’t fade or crack over time, and have nice, razor-sharp curves and edges. These are really nice prints, available on a variety of garments. If you have color/brand suggestions beyond what I’ve put up, shoot me a line at pax2011@patrickcentral.com and I will try my best to accomodate you. 

I’m thinking we cut off sales (forever! limited edition!) about a week before PAX, and I’ll tally up the numbers and bring a check to Seattle. Children get games, PAX goers get unique T-shirts to wear at PAX, Enforcers feel the love. Win-Win-Win. 

If you hate Enforcers and Charity, I really can’t help you. Maybe you can go back in time and get more hugs as a child. 

This concept is dedicated to Holly, an Enforcer who’s been at PAX every year I have, and has improved my experience there at every turn. Holly rules. Even when he’s off duty and you’re taking pictures of him playing Starcraft 2. 

CONTACT:

Questions, comments, hatemail, etc:

pax2011@patrickcentral.com

@patrickcentral on the tweetmotron