SOE Trades Cherry Blossoms For Red Cross Support

The Sony Corporation donated $3.6 million to the Japan relief effort in the days after the disaster, but is offering an additional opportunity for consumers to lend a hand.

Sony Online Entertainment launched a new initiative yesterday that will aid with recovery and reconstruction. Players can purchase a cherry blossom via the in-game marketplace of their game of choice. The blossom will then be displayed in the player's virtual home as a signal or support for the cause. Every Cherry Blossom purchase will result in a $10 donation to the American Red cross by Sony Online Entertainment. The campaign ends on Monday, March 28.

Participating games include Everquest, Everquest II, PoxNora, Free Realms, Clone Wars, Magic – The Gathering: Tactics, and Star Wars Galaxies. Sony Online Entertainment notes that Magic – The Gathering: Tactics, Star Wars Galaxies, and PoxNora will have alternative items, but specifics were not divulged.