Some of this could be yours if you enter our sweepstakes!

Back in 2012, my first year at Ars, I was extremely gratified to help raise $ 28,700 in donations in the first-ever charity drive I organized for the site, a total that surpassed every other annual charity haul we brought in since 2007. That record has stood for the last two years, which brought in about $ 23,500 and $ 25,000 in charity drive donations, respectively. Not bad totals, by any means, but not as satisfying as that record-breaking 2012.

Readers: this year I want to knock that record on its butt. And we are so close to doing it.

As of this writing, Ars readers have donated a total of $ 27,450.66 to Child’s Play and the EFF through this year’s Charity Drive sweepstakes. That’s already better than either of the last two years and just over $ 1,000 away from besting our all-time record.