'Game' Celebrities Raise Bus-Load of Cash for Charity

'Game' Celebrities Raise Bus-Load of Cash for Charity

DUBLIN, November 10/PRNewswire/ --

- PopCap Celebrity Play-offs score GBP7,000 for BBC Children in Need

Famous British faces up and down the country got their game on in the
'PopCap Celebrity Play-Offs' recently, to raise a whopping GBP7,000 for BBC
Children In Need...and counting!

The national tour, organised by PopCap.com, was launched in London by
singer-turned-celebrity-chef Liz McClarnon and travelled to Welcome Break
locations across the UK. BBC Children in Need's Pudsey Bear was joined each
day by celebrities from the local area who challenged the public to climb
aboard the bus and beat their top score on PopCap's latest game Zuma's
Revenge! Hundreds of children (and their mums, dads, and even grans) hopped
on board to play the game and try their best to beat the celeb!

The 'PopCap Celebrity Play-Offs' national tour kicked-off on Monday 26
October in Bristol with Casualty actor James Redmond, followed by Birmingham
with CBBC presenters Sam & Mark. The tour then moved to Keele with Big
Brother's Sam and Amanda, Leicester with snooker player Mark Selby (AKA the
'Jester from Leicester'), Sheffield with TV presenter Charlie Webster and
Huddersfield with Emmerdale actor James Hooton, coming to a final stop in
Chorley on Sunday 1 November 2009.

TV presenter Charlie Webster was the overall Zuma's Revenge! Celebrity
Champion with a whopping 180,220 points - the highest score of all the
celebrities and members of the public. While Casualty actor James Redmond
came bottom of the celebrity leader board - and was even beaten by members of
the public - he succeeded in raising the most cash for BBC Children in Need
at the Bristol 'PopCap Celebrity Play-offs'!

The all-important results...

Celebrity Champion! Charlie Webster, TV
presenter 180,220 points

Celebrity that needs James Redmond, Casualty
most practice actor 42,000 points

Highest scoring area Huddersfield
102,960 points

Lowest scoring area Sheffield
37,800 points

Most money raised in... Bristol

Award for best MOP Sam & Mark, CBBC presenters,
(Most Outrageous Player) for entertaining Birmingham
goes to... with their wacky and
wonderful ways!

"This is a fantastic way to raise money for Children in Need", said Sam
and Mark as they battled with kids in Birmingham to set the top score. "It's
really brings the fun element into fundraising and it's brilliant for the
kids to get involved. Zuma's Revenge! is wicked - we absolutely love it and
can't stop playing it!"

All monies raised go towards BBC Children in Need in advance of the live
Appeal show on 20 November 2009. These crucial pennies raised for BBC
Children in Need will improve the lives of disadvantaged children and young
people across the UK.

Zuma's Revenge! Is the newest game in the PopCap.com
portfolio. The player takes the role of a fearless ball-shooting frog,
exploring ancient temples and ruins. By firing coloured spheres into an
advancing chain of balls to make matches of three or more, the frog blasts
his way through a series of arcade challenges. Visit http://www.popcap.com
where you can play a free trial of Zuma's Revenge! And try out lots of
other free games. Remember PopCap games are not just for kids. In fact the
majority of players at PopCap.com are over 30 and female and say playing
helps reduce stress and exercise the mind.

Those people who couldn't attend the 'PopCap Celebrity Play-offs' tour,
but would still like to show their support for BBC Children in Need (and
their favourite local celebrity) can log onto the following just giving sites
to donate:

- James Redmond: http://www.justgiving.com/PopCap-jamesredmond
- Sam & Mark: http://www.justgiving.com/PopCap-SamandMark
- Sam & Amanda: http://www.justgiving.com/PopCap-SamandAmanda
- Charlie Webster: http://www.justgiving.com/PopCap-charliewebster
- James Hooton: http://www.justgiving.com/PopCap-jameshooton
- Mark Selby, the 'Jester from Leicester':
http://www.justgiving.com/PopCap-MarkSelby

Notes to editors:

About PopCap

PopCap Games (http://www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform
provider of fun, easy-to-learn, captivating video games that appeal to
everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded
in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 240 people in Seattle, San
Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, and Shanghai. Its games have
been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its
flagship title, Bejeweled(R), has sold more than 25 million units across all
platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap's games are
played on the Web, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones,
smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod, iPhone and more), popular game consoles
(such as Xbox and DS), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the
only "casual games" developer with leading market share across all major
sales channels, including Web portals, retail stores, mobile phones, MP3
players, and game devices.

BBC Children in Need

The BBC Children in Need Appeal is a charity registered in
England and Wales (802052) and Scotland (SC039557) whose aim is to make a
positive change to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people
across the UK.

In 2008, The BBC Children in Need Appeal raised a massive
GBP38 million, with a record-breaking on-the-night total of GBP20, 991,216.
The next BBC Children in Need Appeal will take place on 20 November 2009.

Thanks to public donations and the amazing efforts of
fundraisers, schools, businesses and corporate partners over the last 30
years, over half a billion has been raised towards helping to make a positive
change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people across the
country.

BBC Children in Need awards grants to organisations working
with children aged 18 and under who have mental, physical or sensory
disabilities; behavioural or psychological disorders; are living in poverty
or situations of deprivation; or suffering distress, abuse or neglect.

For every penny donated to the charity, a penny goes directly
to a project. The charity is able to make this promise because it uses its
investment income to cover all operational costs.

For more information please visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey

Welcome Break

Welcome Break currently operates 24 sites across the UK. The company
offers motorists services, good and amenities including fuel, restaurants,
retail shopping, rest areas, leisure facilities and overnight accommodation.

2009 is the third year Welcome Break has exclusively supported BBC
Children in Need. In 2007, Welcome Break raised over GBP67,000 for BBC
Children in Need. In 2008, Welcome Break handed over GBP174,000 to the
charity.

A full list of Welcome Break's sites can be found at
http://www.welcomebreak.co.uk

For further information about Welcome Break, please contact: Matt King on
+44(0)7825-057545 or matt.king@welcomebreak.co.uk

The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are
listed at http://www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or
its licensors and may be registered in some countries. Other company and
product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and
are used for the benefit of those owners.

Images available on request.

For images, information, game samples, case studies or images
please contact Holly Blake, Beth Robinson, Sylvia Palamoudian, Sarah Egerton
or Lily Pickard at Focus PR: popcap@focuspr.co.uk or +44(0)20-7845-6600.

Source: PopCap Games International

For images, information, game samples, case studies or images please contact Holly Blake, Beth Robinson, Sylvia Palamoudian, Sarah Egerton or Lily Pickard at Focus PR: popcap@focuspr.co.uk or +44(0)20-7845-6600.

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