TOYS FOR TOTS GAME

2002 TOYS FOR TOTS 24-HOUR EVENT
Nov. 30 - Dec. 1, 2002
Presented by 24HourGames.com

	Pre-Game write-up in the local paper The Daily Citizen; Page 5A, 11/27/2002, by J. Daniel Cloud
	Post-Game write-up in the local paper The Daily Citizen; Page 1A, 12/1/2002, by Charles Oliver
	Post-Game pictures from the local paper The Daily Citizen, Page 10A; 12/1/2002, Matt Hamilton

The participants of this event contributed 198 TOYS to the Toys for Tots program!!! Some folks brought several $10 to $15 toys, while a several folks brought several $30 to $40 toys!! We at 24hourgames.com applaud the contribution, and are proud to have provided an event to further this cause - but its all about the players that made it happen! All totaled, the players brought in approximately $4,000 worth of toys for needy children in Northwest Georgia!!! Next year promises to bring many more players, and we fully expect to double this year's contribution in 2003!

Approximately 150 players showed up on a windy and cold Saturday morning. The first objective for both teams was to deliver a locked box to two mid-field locations. Little did the Generals know that they were delivering an additional Spy package for the other side to eventually utilize. Once the locked box was retrieved, teams had the duty of finding a series of combinations that would unlock the boxes. Neither side got the locked boxes quickly, but the U.S. managed to get all of the combinations and the locked box.

In addition to this small assignment, both Generals were also kept busy trying to locate and secure a "Special Operations Area". For the U.S. side, the S.O.A. was an ammo dump located between Fort Bragg and the large tire speedball field in the Southeast corner of the field. For Panama, the S.O.A. was a drug lab located behind Rio Hato in the Northwest corner of the field. Fake drug packages and fake missiles were planted throughout the field at various times during the game, which had to be taken back to each side's S.O.A. for counting at the top of each hour. The U.S. side missed finding the ammo dump at the 1:00 check-in, but found it soon thereafter and racked up 27 of 30 missiles at 2:00 and 28 of 30 missiles at 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, and 6:00. The Panamanian side had difficulty finding the drug lab, but finally began racking up similar points. Both S.O.A.'s were "compromised" after the 3:00 check-in, requiring all of the Special Items to be moved to another location (this time, the area was identified on the map).

Also included was a 16 foot wide satellite dish, which had been split into four pieces and distributed throughout the field. All but one piece of the satellite sat in the U.S. base at the 3:30 PM check-in, and all pieces were obtained for the 10:30 PM check-in on Saturday, as well as the 10:30 check-in on Sunday.

The battles were intense, but the Panamanian side seemed to have a streak of bad luck through the early hours of the game. The Panamanian General decided to step down, and command was given to Jorge of Team Fireballers. Had the Special Operations item been equal, it would have been a much closer score - but the 300 possible points per hour from the Special Operations turned out to be a death-blow for the Panamanian side.

Night play was called at 11:30, which was a one-hour extension from the previously accepted time established by both Generals at the dinner break. The battles were equally fierce, and the Panamanian side began to gain control of more of the field.

Sunday brought even COLDER weather, and the conclusion of our first game. The final battle occurred in "Death Valley", and was an intense push-and-shove hour. The U.S. side ended up having more players on the field at the 1:00 bell, and won control of the final battle.

Some In-Game Photographs: