I am a big fan of the Child's Play charity for two simple, very personal, reasons: my wife, who spent her first twenty years in and out of hospitals and surgery; and my young cousin now in high school who has been going through the same thing for the last five years.

There are a lot of charities and foundations devoted to curing various childhood woes, too many to name here. And there are a lot of childrens hospitals devoted to curing - or in the worst cases, merely comforting - our ill kids. But let's face it, most of the money that gets thrown at these issues goes to the cures, obviously. And if you are part of a family with a sick child in a hospital, you understand that there isn't much money left in the family budget to spring for a couple handheld games. Not much attention is given to the hour-by-hour, day-by-day moments when a small child is lying in a hospital bed with some friends and family hanging out for company. Trust me, it gets boring and lonely.

So in 2003 the authors of Penny Arcade stepped up with a charity of their own called Child's Play. With the help of hospital staff, they’ve set up Amazon.com gift wish lists full of video games, toys, and movies. You can go to each hospital’s list and buy a toy, and that toy will be sent to the hospital. Some of these kids are in pretty bad shape. Imagine being stuck alone in a hospital over the holidays, getting a toy or book or movie to help pass the time would really raise their spirits. Some of the stuff the hospital will give away for kids to keep, while other gifts (like consoles) will be kept by the hospital for patients to use throughout the year. There are dozens of hospitals around the world that are participating, so there may well be one near you that you can support directly. You can also donate cash directly via Paypal or by mailing them a check (hit their website for the address right on the front page). Finally, unlike many charities that need to skim a little off the top of all donations just to exist, 100% of all donations - toys and money - go directly to the partner hospitals for the kids to use. Child's Play doesn't keep a dime.

So, what's all this got to do with U2, U2unes, and you? Well, maybe you'll be inspired to give a little. Go check out the Child's Play website and think about what you can give to help a child and his or her family make it through the holidays with a bit of cheer. But maybe you don't have the time or money yourself to pitch in. That's where I come in.

This is so important to me that I'm going to give money to Child's Play on your behalf. It's simple. All you have to do is three very simple things:

One, make a small sign that says "U2 Fans for Child's Play" on it. Any kind of sign will do - crayon on paper is perfect. Just make it legible.

Two, take a picture of yourself holding the sign you've made.

Three, email the photo to me so that I can include it in a special photo gallery I'll host here.

That's it. That's all you have to do. In exchange for your photo, I will donate $10 to Child's Play and I will send you a copy on CD of one U2 bootleg of your choice from my collection. This offer is good for the first 25 people who participate - that's $250 to Child's Play and a bunch of free bootlegs. The cash donation will be sent to Child's Play from "U2 Fans for Child's Play" so that everyone who participates can take some of the credit. I'd give more, but I must admit this is about all my family can afford this year.

I sure do look forward to seeing the photos that people send. Happy holidays!