sidekick cycle

I’m helping kids, straight off the iPhone

Ready to make a difference in the lives of an unfortunate individual? Your iPhone is the key to connecting with people from Africa. a new game in Apple App store will provide transportation to a child every time you play it.

Sidekick Cycle is the app by The Global Gaming Initiative, the company with the goal to “make play purposeful.” The game which was released last week manifested after partnering up with charity World Bicycle Relief, by purchasing and playing the game half of the proceeds are used to provide bikes to poor regions in Africa.

A fairly simple yet growingly challenging game where you control a cyclist and guide him down a terrain.

The game costs 99 cents and for every sale half of the money goes to the World Bicycle Relief. Half of in-app purchases also go to charity to help the disenfranchised.

For every 387 games sold, a child in Africa receives a bicycle. The app provides updates on how many bikes the user helped donate so you get to see how your gaming is helping others. Global Gaming Initiative founder Elizabeth Sarquis explained how she developed her gamification for charity model: “After serving many years on non-profit boards, I became aware of the collapse of the non-profit model after the 2008 financial crisis. As a result of that, people were willing to donate to charities, but they demanded accountability. They cared to know where their donations were going, especially with the transparency that the Internet can provide.”

She continued explaining the importance of the bicycles: “In the U.S., bikes are a leisure activity for most, but in other parts of the world bikes are a form of transportation that provides access to education, health and employment.”

Give the Candy Crush a break today and make a difference from your iPhone, pick up Sidekick Cycle for $0.99 from the Apple App Store here.

@ShottaDru

Mashable