Back in December of 2014, Blizzard Entertainment announced that 100% of the proceeds from Argi (an in-game pet) sales from the 3rd to the end of the month would go to the Red Cross to aid in their battle against the Ebola virus in Africa. The Argi pets were sold for $10 and were account bound, which granted access to all characters within a Battlet.net account. Players also had the option of shelling out $20 more for a bundle containing the Grinning Reaver mount along with the Argi pet. Blizzard has now revealed that in a little under a month, the generous players of the MMORPG titan was able to raise close to $2 million dollars.
The Argi pet and bundle can still be bought from the store, but earnings will no longer be going to Red Cross.
Ebola is a deadly virus that can be fatal if left unchecked. While unproven, Fruit Bats are thought to be a likely candidate for the virus’ natural reservoir (a host of a virus that is usually left unaffected). The spreading of the virus from humans then occur through the contact of an infected person’s blood or other bodily fluids. The current outbreak is located in West Africa, with countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone being effected. Due to the large scale of the outbreak, the Center for Disease and Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have it listed as an epidemic. Unfortunately, as of yet, there are no known vaccines or cure for the virus other than rehydration (as vomiting and diarrhea occur) and tending to certain symptoms, which allows for higher chances of survival.
If you would like to donate directly to the Red Cross’ efforts against the Ebola Outbreak, please visit https://www.redcross.org/donate/ebola-outbreak. Donations are tax deductible. For more info on the Ebola virus, check out the CDC or WHO pages linked below.
