Some players make a difference from home

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December 21, 2009

BY MARY WICOFF The Commercial-News Mon Dec 21, 2009, 12:39 AM CST

DANVILLE — From the comfort of her home, Mary Ann Hilleary is helping to cure cancer and save the rainforests.

“I can’t walk 10 miles, but I can virtually click five times,” she said, referring to a Facebook application that lets her “walk” for the cure.

Hilleary is among the thousands of people who play games on Facebook, but these have a twist — they generate money for good causes. A small percentage of revenue generated by advertising on the sites goes toward causes, such as cancer research.

Hilleary has played (Lil) Green Patch and (Lil) Blue Cove, which both raise money for the Nature Conservancy to help the rainforests. Others she’s tried are Willy’s Sweet Shop, which generates money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and (Lil) Eco Racer, another rainforest campaign.

The one she’s most involved in is Walk for the Cure. In that application, players try to build up teams; they take virtual walks around the world. A walker doesn’t try to reach levels, but rather, locations. As of last week, Hilleary’s virtual walker was in Tuscany.

She has about 400 walkers on her team, but she knows only about 2 percent of them. Some walkers have more than 1,000 people on their teams.

The team members don’t have to do anything; Hilleary does all the walking. Each mile, however, is multiplied by the number of team members she has.

Many of the walkers have been touched by cancer in some way, she said, and the application is a diversion for them. Hilleary lost both of her parents to cancer, she said, adding, “We need to get rid of cancer (through research).”

She can’t help financially, but, she said, “If I can do a little bit this way … here’s my contribution.”

She can earn “cash” by helping her neighbors, sending gifts and inviting others to join. At Willy’s Sweet Shop, a company will make a donation to St. Jude’s when a player makes chocolate bars and “sends” them to people.

Hilleary is a night owl, so she likes to get on the Facebook applications when it’s quiet in the house.

“It can be very addictive,” she said, “but I’m not spending money.”

When she and a friend are together, they talk about their walks and patches of land, and both their husbands shake their heads. People who play the games like to discuss their achievements and purchases, which can sound like another language to those who aren’t involved.

Besides the games with a cause, she’s a member of FarmVille and Farm Town. She even puts sticky notes on her computer to remind her to check her eggplants, adding, “I can spend a couple of hours at the farms.”

She doesn’t let the games, however, interfere with her family life with husband, Greg, and son, Ross. And she still makes sure she works at her at-home jobs selling Tupperware and Longaberger baskets.

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