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Stray has been helping raise money for real-life stray cats

Interviews shared by PBS NewsHour reveal that the game Stray has fostered the raising of money for stray cats through things like charity streams and donations in exchange for game codes.

Morgan Shaver

January 17, 2023 10:55 AM

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In an interview with a number of different sources as shared by PBS NewsHour, it was revealed that the game Stray has helped foster the raising of money for real-life stray cats across the United States since its release back in July of 2022.

As an example, Brendan Gepson from the Nebraska Humane Society shared a statement with PBS NewsHour on how they’d given away several game codes for Stray on Twitter through $5 donations and how this was so successful they were able to raise around $8,000 as a result. Another, who didn’t provide a name, stated they were able to raise over $1,500 through local streamers hosting charity streams for the game.

Remarking on the matter and the process of getting involved, Annapurna Interactive marketing director Jeff Legaspi notes that it was a “no-brainer for us to see if there were organizations that would be more than happy to partner up with us.”

Outside of money being raised by humane societies and through charity livestreams, Annapurna Interactive has provided money to the cause as well, with the aforementioned Jeff Legaspi serving as a platinum sponsor for a walkathon event hosted by the Stray Cat Relief Fund in Philadelphia.

According to Debbie Distanisloa from Stray Cat Relief, “I contacted Jeff from Annapurna Interactive, and immediately within the next day he said he would love to be a platinum sponsor, which was $4,000.” Distanisloa goes on to share the happy news that they were able to raise $6,500 “towards the medical care of our cats, which was just astounding.”

It’s an incredibly heartwarming story to hear how the game Stray is not only giving people a look through the eyes of a fictional stray feline, but is also helping real-life strays in need. To soak up even more of this positive story, be sure to check out the full video and interview quotes courtesy of PBS NewsHour.

And for more on Stray and Annapurna Interactive, check out some of our previous coverage including how Sony celebrated Stray's success with a $25k donation to the ASPCA, and the announcement of Silent Hill: Townfall by Konami and Annapurna Interactive back in October.

Morgan Shaver

Senior Editor

Morgan is a writer from the frozen wastelands of Maine who enjoys metal music, kpop, horror, and indie games. They're also a Tetris fanatic who's fiercely competitive in games like Tetris 99... and all games in general. But mostly Tetris. You can follow Morgan on Twitter @Author_MShaver.