Electron Boy saves Seattle. Make a Wish does some incredible things for kids, but this has got to be one of the coolest. I think every fledgling geek has probably fantasized at some point about being a super hero, but to actually get to play that out in a story that involves lots of other people? Wow.
And of course, no WoW nerd can read this story without thinking of Ezra Chatterton, who left his mark on a fantasy world. There’s a quest in the tauren starting area that he designed, among other things. And he’s remembered as an elder now during one of the game holidays.
More than just wish fulfillment, I think stories like these really do touch the lives of others. Everyone finds their own meaning in them, but it really strikes me how these kids are able to have a moment, or an afternoon, or a week of happiness, and simultaneously (perhaps accidentally) shout to the world, “I was here.”