If you’ve been too busy planning for Half-Life 3 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 $4,000 worth of swag (no purchase necessary to win).
In the first week or so of the drive, over 300 readers have contributed nearly $18,000 to either the Electronic Frontier Foundation or Child’s Play as part of the charity drive (Child’s Play has a roughly 55/45 donation lead at the moment). That’s still a long way from 2020’s record haul of over $58,000, but there’s plenty of time until the Charity Drive wraps up on Friday, January 2, 2026.
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.