Has it really been a year since last the 2009 Child's Play drive? So far, you have helped us raise over $39,000, making Ars a platinum sponsor of Child's Play. Child's Play is a charity run by Penny Arcade that brings video games, toys, and books to children who have the bad luck to be spending the holidays in the hospital.

This year we're raising money for Child's Play again, with some great prizes that you won't find anywhere else. Do you like zombies? Limbo? Spy cars? We have you covered. Get out your wallet and get ready to be generous.

Why you should give

Being sick is no fun; being sick when you're a child and suffering from a serious illness can be downright scary. When hospitals can hand a child a DS or a PSP with a game or two so they can pass the time, it can help distract them from the hard reality of their surroundings. This is the unique power of video games, the ability to remove us from our daily life and take us some place a little more fun.

Don't want to buy a game? That's more than OK. Simply go to the official site, click on a hospital, and choose something else to buy. A book, maybe? A special toy? Each hospital's link brings up an Amazon page filled with great ideas. Feel like simply donating cash? Click on the PayPal link and send in a donation that will go directly to buying fun things for the children.

This is the fourth year we've organized a Child's Play Drive at Ars Technica, and I always feel like I get out much more than I put in. When people send in their donations, they often send a note about why they chose this toy or that game. They share stories about their favorite books as children or how they felt when they were away from their friends and family during the holidays. There is no one who gives to this charity who simply opens their wallets; this is a case where people open their hearts and lives. It's a wonderful thing to see, and our readership has never disappointed in its generosity of spirit.

Of course, it's not all selfless

To make it more fun, we're giving you some great excuses to give (outside of the obvious). We have some exciting prizes this year, and instead of teasing throughout the weeks, we're going to share all of them right now. Let's take a look at what we'll be giving away.

Exclusive Limbo Print

Donated by TriplePoint PR, this is an exclusive print, based on concept artwork created by the game's development team. Measuring 30" by 40", this is a stunning piece of artwork to hang in your game room or living room. This is as good as it gets for gaming collectibles, and it won't be made available any other way.

Walking Dead hardcover collections 1 through 5, signed by Robert Kirkman

These are the hardcover versions of the comic book that inspired the new hit TV show. I've read all the comics and watched every episode of the show, and while they're very different, both are very, very good. Each book is signed by Robert Kirkman, the creator and writer of the series, and you can read the story of how we came by this very nice prize if you'd like to know how much this cost us. Spoiler: we paid with a video game.

These would look fabulous in your comic collection, and the signatures make them even better. Of all the prizes we've ever given away, these hurt the most. Enjoy!

The Complete Invincible Library, Volume 2 signed by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker

This huge edition is over 750 pages long, has a hard slipcase over the book itself, and collects 24 issues of the comic. That's not all, though: this particular copy is signed by both Invincible's writer Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker, who co-created the character.

Walking Dead may be getting all the attention right now, but Invincible remains one of my favorite comic series of the past few years. This is the best way to collect the series, especially with signatures from both creators of the book. Sure, you'll need to buy the first volume if you don't already have it, but this just gives you an excuse.

Enslaved resin statue

Only 200 of these were made, and they were never sold. I have no clue what I did to get one of these sent to me, but my confusion is your gain! Enslaved was wonderful, and this is a great collectible to show off your love of Monkey.

We repeat that these were never put on sale, only 200 exist, and they are an awesome 12" tall. Very impressive.

Two (2) Zune HDs with 32GB of storage

Keep up to 8,000 songs or 10 hours of high definition video on this portable monster. The screen is a beautiful 3.3", with a true 16x9 aspect ratio. We have two of these to give away, and each one comes with two free months of Zune service, allowing you to explore and play all the music you want.

Or you can just use it for video, including TV-out functionality. These are great devices with a ton of uses.

Two (2) sets of Gunnar glasses

We were skeptical of these at first, but after testing them ourselves and getting comments from an expert, we think they're the real deal. There will be two winners of these prizes, and each winner will receive one pair of gaming glasses and one pair of 3D glasses. Why suffer through the painful 3D glasses you get at movies? These are much more comfortable, and look much better.

I spend many, many hours a day in front of computers and video games. These glasses do help.

Two (2) packs of two (2) sets of Buckyballs

How much fun are these? Take a look.

Each set contains 216 balls, but we don't think that's enough for you guys, so we're giving away two prize packs, each of which contains two sets. That means two winners will both receive 432 magnets, allowing you to create some epic shapes and structures. I've had a chance to play with a set of these at a friend's house recently, and I fell in love; they are total productivity killers.

Prestige edition of Call of Duty: Black Ops

This is the 360 version, and comes with the game, all the bonus content from the hardened edition, as well as a remote-controlled car with some very nice features. "With a range of up to 200 feet, the RC-XD Surveillance Vehicle has a fully-functioning remote camera that transmits both TFT color video and audio to its operator," Activision explained in the original release.

So yeah, it's a fully-functional spy car. Since we reviewed the game on the PC, this package has never been opened, and even if you're not a fan of the game, the car is a great toy. If you are a fan of war games it doesn't get much better. Activision likes to get fancy with its special editions, and this is no different.

So how do I win?

Simple. Just donate money or a gift to the charity. Click on a hospital to choose a gift, or donate via Paypal. Send your receipt to childsplay@arstechnica.com and you're automatically entered in the drawing. Only one entry per person, please, but if you'd like to donate multiple times to help our fundraising efforts, please do. You'll simply be entered in the drawing a single time.

No purchase necessary to win, and you can join the drawing by sending a postcard to the address in the official rules. My one suggestion: instead of sending in a postcard, donate $2 to the charity. Cheaper than the price of the card and the postage stamp, it gets to us instantly, and you help support a great cause. The full set of rules can be found here. Please note: only residents of the US or Canada (except Québéc) are eligible for the prizes, but all can donate and help our total.

A $1 donation isn't embarrassing, it's helpful. A $5 donation is worth your time. Last year someone donated a mind-boggling $1,000. We see everything in between. There is no maximum and certainly no minimum. To get us started, Ars Technica is going to match the first $500 in donations. Let's see if we can't get up to a thousand before the end of the day today.

We'll be accepting donations from November 22nd, 2:00 p.m. EST until January 1, 2011, 12:00 p.m. EST—don't worry, we have that double-noted—and if you've already donated, no worries, just send us the receipt and we'll put you in for the drawing and add your generous donation to our total. Our first goal for this year is $10,000, and we should hit that easily. Once we're there, we'll talk about busting our all-time high score.

We'll be offering frequent updates, and if you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to share them in the comments or via e-mail. Let's get this show on the road!