PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwire - Sep 5, 2012) -  ToonUps, cause gaming™ pioneer and creator of A Better World game on Facebook, today announced they are bringing prayer to social gaming with their Sanctuary of Prayer. This new feature, open to people of all spiritual traditions, adds yet another dimension to A Better World's mission to be a place "Where All Good Deeds Are Rewarded and Real World Causes Are Supported." Since the game's launch last year, more than 5 million good deeds, expressions of gratitude, and hopes and dreams have been collectively shared by players of the game.

In the Sanctuary of Prayer, players create prayer groups that can be joined by friends and other community members. The players who wish to offer support say actual prayers, report them in the game, and get in-game rewards for their participation. As players report more and more prayers, their rewards get bigger and their community gets stronger.

"The new feature harnesses the power of prayer, encourages cooperation and kindness among the game's online community, and gives an extra dose of hope to those with real-life wants and needs," said MarySue Hansell, President and COO of ToonUps.

A Better World is a free, uplifting game on Facebook that is all about being positive and encouraging kindness to others. Like other Facebook games, you create your character and home, care for a pet, and grow a garden, but in A Better World players progress by doing kind things for others inside and outside the game. Features include the Gratitude Grotto, the Positive Post, and the Department of Do-Good. Players can share their good deeds, notes of encouragement, get-well wishes, and gifts with the Facebook community. The Sanctuary of Prayer gives players one more outlet to express themselves, support others, and receive fun in-game rewards for doing so.

"Games, with their deeply immersive and interactive nature, can enhance the power of prayer for an online community," said Gregory R. Hansell, VP of Product Development.

ToonUps is a digital entertainment company that has been creating uplifting games and apps for over ten years. Their social game, A Better World, creates a fun environment that inspires players to help others, become better people, and make the world a better place. The game is creating a powerful legion of do-gooders known as BetterWorldians. And the secret is spreading.

ToonUps is headquartered in Wayne, PA.

A Better World Game Photos: http://bit.ly/SopPhotos

Tweet this: ToonUps Brings Prayer to Social Gaming
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Websites
A Better World Game: http://bit.ly/ABWPrayer

A Dream for A Better World YouTube Video: http://bit.ly/ADreamABW

ToonUps: http://bit.ly/ToonUpsWebsite

Contacts

Jenna McCullough
ToonUps
610-902-0080 x117

PHILADELPHIA, PA, May 02, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- ToonUps, cause gaming pioneer and creator of A Better World game on Facebook, today announced that solar power systems have been installed at two Guatemalan schools thanks to the big hearts of their Facebook game players.

Players of A Better World have sent over 50,000 virtual hearts to their Facebook friends in a campaign that started on Valentine's Day. Because players shared their love, ToonUps shares theirs by providing the funding for the equipment and installation of units that will provide solar power (and 11 hours of light) to both the Mano De Leon School and the Panorama Kindergarten (in May/June) in Guatemala. This is the first time Mano de Leon has experienced electric power.

"The install took three hours and for the first time ever in the village of Mano de Leon, the sound of a food blender whirring was heard and applauded!" said Mick Quinn, co-founder of Integral Heart. "This is the result of a grand collaboration of organizations to bring a sense of dignity and ease of being to the 90 residents of this isolated village including, The GodsChild Project, ConstruCasa, Rotary Antigua, and ToonUps/A Better World."

Photos are available for download at this link (password:manoleon): http://hirokotanaka.photoshelter.com/gallery/Faces-of-Mano-de-Leon/G0000en2YhzjKJLk/

A Better World is a free, uplifting game on Facebook that is all about being positive and encouraging kindness to others. "A Better World is taking cause gaming to a new level by having game play impact and blend into the real world. The result with Integral Heart provides another good example of that," said MarySue Hansell, president and COO of ToonUps. "The game is being hailed as 'the catalyst of kindness' and we like the moniker. A Better World is making the world kinder one game player at a time."

About Integral Heart Education Program The Integral Heart Foundation is focused on connecting hearts and has no religious or political affiliation. We are currently working on the ground in Guatemala, aiming to overcome poverty by allowing children and their families to dream through education and will expand our work to other Central American countries as we establish a successful, flexible and scalable model.

About ToonUps ToonUps is a digital entertainment company that created the popular Facebook game A Better World. In the free game, players create characters and live in a virtual world where all good deeds are rewarded and real world causes are impacted. The game creates a fun environment that inspires players to help others, become better people and make the world a better place. A Better World is creating a powerful legion of do-gooders and the secret is spreading. ToonUps is headquartered in Wayne, PA.

Tweet This A Better World on Facebook lights up Guatemalan Schools http://www.toonups.com/Blogengine/default.aspx?cat=pressreleases

Websites

A Better World Game: http://bit.ly/ABWgameIHF

Integral Heart: www.integralheartfoundation.org

ToonUps: http://bit.ly/ToonUpsWebsite

Contacts

ToonUps
610-902-0070      
press@toonups.com

PHILADELPHIA, PA, Apr 11, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- ToonUps, cause gaming pioneer and creator of A Better World game on Facebook, today announced a campaign with CURE International to send messages from within the game to real world disabled children who are surgical patients in CURE hospitals around the world. Once 1,000 custom messages are sent, ToonUps will release funds that will provide life saving care for three babies suffering from Hydrocephalus. The new campaign represents the first time that a game on Facebook reaches directly out to children to improve their lives and uplift their spirits.

"This is a monumental breakthrough in the cause gaming genre. It is where we see the market heading, so it's nice to be first to the party," said Ray Hansell, CEO of ToonUps. "Our desire is to have game play directly impact real people in a positive way in the real world."

A Better World players can now go to the Positive Post in Town to read about each disabled child's story and to write a customized get-well message of encouragement. Those messages are delivered digitally to a CUREkids coordinator in the region who will share it with the child via iPad or laptop. Positive Post messaging is just one example of the do-good activities players can perform in A Better World. Others include expressing gratitude and sharing hopes and dreams. You can also shop, decorate your home, care for a virtual pet, and much more.

"These children get such a thrill imagining that someone on the other side of the globe cares about what happens to them," noted Joel Worrall, vice president of CURE.org. "Giving A Better World gamers a chance to deliver customized messages to these children and put a smile on their face is truly a special gift for not only the kids but the people delivering the message as well. The game is a catalyst of kindness."

About CURE CURE International heals the sick and proclaims the Kingdom of God. It is the largest provider of reconstructive surgery to disabled children in the emerging world. Since opening the doors of its first surgical teaching hospital in Kijabe, Kenya in 1998, CURE's focus on bringing healing to developing nations has resulted in more than 1.5 million patient visits and over 121,000 surgeries to correct physically disabling conditions. CURE has also trained more than 5000 medical professionals raising the standard of care in the countries where it operates. Also, check out CURE's plans to work with the Tim Tebow Foundation to build a children's hospital in the Philippines.

About ToonUps ToonUps is a digital entertainment company whose mission is to create online games and apps to brighten the world. ToonUps has created a rich array of products designed with the purpose of uplifting people through optimism, altruism and fun. From social gaming to business training, their innovative content brings these core themes to a variety of markets. ToonUps is headquartered in Wayne, PA.

Tweet This ToonUps Blurs the Lines of Online Gaming and the Real World http://www.toonups.com/Blogengine/default.aspx?cat=pressreleases

Websites

A Better World Game: http://bit.ly/CUREABW

CURE: http://bit.ly/CUREorgABW

ToonUps: http://bit.ly/ToonUpsWebsite

Contacts

ToonUps
610-902-0070      
press@toonups.com

 

PHILADELPHIA, PA and SACRAMENTO, CA--(Marketwire - Mar 1, 2012) - ToonUps, cause gaming pioneer and creator of A Better World Facebook game, today announced that it will work with the non-profit charity Wish Upon a Hero to grant a wish for Gracie's Place, a special needs school for children, based in a Sacramento suburb. Gracie's Place is hoping for a transport van to assist more children and families in need. Anyone with a Facebook account can help grant this wish by simply signing into A BetterWorld and visiting the Sanctuary of Hope section of the game. Players can post a dream or hope, or support those of others. If 100,000 hopes are posted or supported, ToonUps will answer the wish of Gracie's Place in order to help them fulfill the hopes and dreams of these special needs kids.

A Better World's March "Reach the Stars" challenge is part of a monthly program that encourages people to do good deeds inside the game, which translates to helping real world causes. The March campaign is being done in cooperation with Wish Upon a Hero, a website that lets people grant the wishes of others. The site is endorsed by Hall of Fame Quarterback Dan Marino and has granted nearly 90,000 wishes to date. ToonUps has chosen to grant the wish of Gracie's Place. The progressive child care home teaches responsibility, kindness, time-and-place, courtesy, self control and life skills to all types, including children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), developmental delays, behavioral issues and children in foster care. The addition of a vehicle will enable Gracie's to expand day services to assist more children and families in need.

"Like A Better World, we are providing a conduit for people to help others," said David Girgenti, founder of Wish Upon a Hero. "It's incredibly encouraging to find companies that are succeeding in collecting and expanding the numbers of people that want to make the world a better place."

A Better World is a free, uplifting Facebook game that's all about being positive and encouraging others to do good deeds and acts of kindness. Like other Facebook games, you create your character, play games, care for a virtual pet, and grow a virtual garden, but in A Better World players progress by doing kind things for others inside and outside the game. Areas in the game include the Gratitude Grotto, the Sanctuary of Hope and the Department of Do Good. Players can share their good deeds, notes of encouragement, thoughts or gifts with their Facebook friends.

"Our players are absolutely extraordinary in their support and desire to do the right thing," said Gregory Hansell, vice president of product development, ToonUps. "We're excited that this month, our players can make real world dreams come true for special needs children by sharing their own hopes and dreams inside the game."

About Wish Upon a Hero
The Wish Upon a Hero Foundation is a non-profit organization that grants the wishes of those in need. In 2011, WUAHF partnered with Hike for Our Heroes to raise funds and awareness and grant the wishes of military families in need. The Foundation and Wish Upon a Hero.com were founded by Girgenti following the catastrophic events of September 11th and Hurricane Katrina. Communities and individuals helped each other during those difficult times. Girgenti created a platform where anyone can post a wish, and everyone can be a hero. For more information, go to www.wishuponaherofoundation.org.

About ToonUps
ToonUps is a digital entertainment company that created the popular Facebook game A Better World. In the free game, players create characters and live in a virtual world where all good deeds are rewarded and real world causes are impacted. The game creates a fun environment that inspires players to help others, become better people and make the world a better place. A Better World is creating a powerful legion of do-gooders and the secret is spreading. ToonUps is headquartered in Wayne, PA.

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Wish Upon a Hero using A Better World Facebook Game to Grant Wish of Special Needs School
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Websites
A Better World Game: http://bit.ly/PlayABWgameHero

Wish Upon a Hero: www.wishuponahero.com

ToonUps: http://bit.ly/ToonUpsWebsite

Photos and Screen Shots Available

Contacts

ToonUps
610-902-0070
press@toonups.com

PHILADELPHIA – February 14, 2012 – ToonUps today announced that they will fund the installation of solar powered generators to light two Guatemalan schools in villages that have never had electric power. ToonUps has challenged their players to send 50,000 virtual hearts from within their A Better World Facebook game. The game allows players to send digital hearts themed around love, friendship, fun, and good will to friends, family, and loved ones. If A Better World players meet the goal by February 29, ToonUps will fund this initiative to light up the lives of Guatemalan kindergarten students.

The challenge is the latest in their “Reach the Stars” initiative that encourages its Facebook gamers to do good for others. Reaching the 50,000 mark will unleash funds that can provide sufficient light for a school building, a community center or medical center. It will provide eleven hours of light to the Mano De Leon Kindergarten and the San Mateo Kindergarten in Guatemala. The Mano De Leon School has just one teacher for 50 students of all grades. The San Mateo facility is connected to a school for older students and will provide light for those classrooms as well.

“There are more than 500,000 people without electricity and the cost to bring that infrastructure into many villages is prohibitive,” said Mick Quinn, co-founder of Integral Heart. “The kids from these villages are sent to work at age 6 or younger, picking fruit, hoeing fields, picking up wood—all before they ever know what school is. We try to get to them early to train them to value education. We have kids from these towns that are staying in schools into their teens for the first time.”

A Better World is a free, uplifting Facebook game that's all about being positive and encouraging others to do good deeds and acts of kindness. Like other Facebook games you create your character, play games, keep a virtual pet, grow a virtual garden, but in A Better World players progress by doing kind things for others inside and outside the game. Areas in the game include the Gratitude Grotto, the Sanctuary of Hope and the Department of Do Good. Players can share their good deeds, notes of encouragement, thoughts or gifts with their Facebook friends.

“Simply sending a heart to your spouse, friend or family on Valentine’s Day—or any day—is a nice gesture in itself, now it can have a global impact,” said MarySue Hansell, co-founder and COO, ToonUps. “It literally costs nothing but a few minutes of time to change the culture, capabilities and lives of the children of two Guatemalan towns forever. We believe A Better World can change the world for the better. Here’s another example of that kind of change.”

About Integral Heart Education Program: The Integral Heart Foundation is focused on connecting hearts and has no religious or political affiliation. We are currently working on the ground in Guatemala, aiming to overcome poverty by allowing children and their families to dream through education and will expand our work to other Central American countries as we establish a successful, flexible and scalable model.

About ToonUps: ToonUps is a digital entertainment company whose mission is to create online games and apps to brighten the world. ToonUps has created a rich array of products designed with the purpose of uplifting people through optimism, altruism and fun. From social gaming to business training, their innovative content brings these core themes to a variety of markets. ToonUps is headquartered in Wayne, PA.

Tweet This: Send a Heart to Facebook Friends and Help Provide Power to two Kindergartens in Guatemala

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Websites: A Better World Game: http://bit.ly/PlayABWgameIHF

Integral Heart: http://bit.ly/IHFwebsite

ToonUps: http://bit.ly/ToonUpsWebsite

Contacts

ToonUps
610-902-0070      
press@toonups.com