One of the things we like to do to solicit donations and further our torment is auction off awesome prizes. Here is the docket of major auctions you can expect over the next  several hours:

DJ Hero Party Bundle

Do you need 2 turntables and a microphone? Of course you do! That?s why there?s the DJ Hero Party Bundle! The bestselling game, and enough peripherals to make you forget you?re not actually a boss DJ! Generously donated by Freestyle Games!

Tauren Lion plush (DELAYED UNTIL TOMORROW)

This is a plush Tauren Druid in cat form, made with all new materials. He is over a foot long, and is very huggable! One of a kind handmade plush by Serthida, this cat has a very goofy smile and will happily guard your desk. Not for small children, as there are small parts that may be removable

Tetris afghan

This beautiful cozy afghan will keep you both warm and nostalgic as you play Tetris or dream about Tetris or pretend to be a Tetris superhero. Guaranteed to look totally awesome on you, your couch, your bed, etc.

Ramona Flowers bag – denim w/ pink star

This incredibly awesome too-cool-for-words bag has a large pocket inside for a netbook or Kindle, and smaller pockets for a phone, laptop mouse, DS, pens, laminated list of your evil exes, etc. Stars on both sides. Giant hammer not included.

A note from the crafter: “I’ve been sewing for many years, but this is the first handbag pattern I’ve ever created.? I made these after I read the first few Scott Pilgrim books, and knew that just carrying one around would make me feel like a badass.? (I was right.)”

Escapist Games Journalist Prize Pack 1

Ever wonder what it?s like to be a games journalist? Get a little closer to your chosen profession with the Escapist?s Games Journalist Prize pack! Everything here was donated by a REAL games journalist! Pack 1 includes: Mr. Potato Head, The Art of Soul Caliber, Guild Wars game, All Points Bullet T-shirt, Dark Storm Gathering Novel, Police Notepad, Mana Energy Potion, Rise of the Argonaughts soundtrack, The Escapist T-Shirt, Imp Plushie

Also stay tuned overnight (our time) as we’ll be auctioning off a Namco Bandai PS3 Uber Pack:

Bandai Namco PS3 Super Ultra Prize Pack

The Dead to Rights Offensive Attack whistle, Enslaved T, Dragonball 2 DS, Tekken 6 PSP, Dragonball PSP, Dead to Rights, Clash of the Titans, We Cheer 2, Naruto Shippuden DVD

Yes, we’ve come this far – trouncing our total take from Desert Bus year one, and getting off to a much quicker start than even our record breaking run last year. It’s been a blast so far, so let’s keep the momentum and get this bus back to Tucson!

LoadingReadyRun’s partner-in-crime from The Escapist has announced his intention to call in to Desert Bus in about 15 minutes. Yahtzee is a true everyman, web series producer, writer and entrepreneur, with his Mana Bar taking Australia by storm.

While I doubt Yahtzee will have time to lambast Desert Bus for us, he’s said he’ll chat for a bit, and maybe auction off some swag to a lucky fan!

If you have any questions for Yahtzee, please feel free to append them to the bottom of this blog post! We don’t promise to get to any or all of them, but we may ask some if time permits.

It’s been a while since we did one of these updates, but I have a number for you … and that number is $23000. James is a mere two hours away from our first handoff, and it’s been a hell of a ride. We’re back at one point and looking forward to a great second shift, so be sure to come back at 6:00 when Morgan takes over in the driver’s seat.

I hope Mark Rosewater is still reading this, because it’s pretty obvious the Desert Bus community is fantastic at card design! Check out all the submissions for our Magic card design contest!

Do you sense a stirring in the aether? I know I do. Rumour holds that Cthulhu, in all his horrible bus-crashing majesty, was only the harbinger of a much greater, more sinister power, wishing to reach out and commune with the poor, tortured drivers of Desert Bus for Hope.

As such, stay tuned! We are led to believe we will be receiving a call from Jerry (Tycho) of Penny Arcade in about half an hour (4:00 PM PST). What devious schemes could he be loolking to set into motion? You’ll have to watch to find out!

Woody Tondorf is a  successful web video producer, who has been on the cutting edge of the industry for the last ten years. Not only did he pioneer the hit show, Elevator, but he has birthed countless other projects, working for HBO labs and Break.com.

Woody is a good friend of LoadingReadyRun, and was present for Desert Bus last year. While he’s unable to be with us this year, we can assure you nobody’s more sad about that than him. He is, however, calling in in a scant 15 minutes, so stay tuned to rock, and make sure to log into the chat to say “Hi”.

Get your wallets ready for a special early morning Live Auction! This superpack of Sony goodness includes: a sony executive organizer, a sony business card holder, Resistance 2, Killzone 2, Little Big planet, Modnation Racers, Heavenly Sword, Uncharted 2 and Heavy Rain for PS3. The auction is going down at 9:00 am PST!

That’s right! After a mere 12 hours of bussing, we have raised a total of $16 000 for the children. We are proud; Rosco is proud; you should be proud of yourselves. More importantly, our total intake over all four years of Desert Bus has now crested a quarter-million dollars: an impressive feat in anyone’s book! The wind’s in our sails now – let’s keep busing, team!