Originally published on Medium.
In honour of Club Penguin’s 13th anniversary, and to all the many people who dedicated so much of their lives to this little frozen world.
Thank you. To all the many players who play and have played Club Penguin. For all the passion and enthusiasm and support – the entire Club Penguin Team is so lucky to have had such a loyal, passionate, creative, and giving audience. When we said, “it’s you that makes Club Penguin special” – those weren’t just throwaway words. We meant it and we continue to mean it. As a team, we will forever be grateful for the millions of players who played Club Penguin with us, and allowed us to have the greatest jobs in the world.
And thank you to the rest of the Club Penguin Team. To the thousands of people who worked on the product over the many, many years. Literally thousands of people poured their time, creativity, and energy into Club Penguin. When they say “it takes a village to raise a child,” they’re definitely not joking.
While it was 13 years ago when Club Penguin launched, it was 17 years ago when the whole journey began, with Experimental Penguins, and then Penguin Chat, and then Club Penguin, and finally Club Penguin Island as well. So many people spent so many hours and worked so hard to make the very best product they could, for the most amazing, creative, and encouraging online community in the world.
And personally, I am forever thankful to Lance, Lane, and Dave for taking the risk to bring Club Penguin to life. Thank you to each of you. My kids grew up with Club Penguin, and contributed so many ideas and suggestions and gave me so much feedback when I was a tiny part of the Club Penguin Team. Club Penguin was such a godsend, and totally changed my life in so many ways. Thank you Lance, Lane, and Dave for choosing to continue nurturing the Kelowna community with your time and energy and passion. You make it a better place to live.
Thank you, Lance, for your passion and creativity, and love of imagination and family-friendly fun. Without your childlike approach to ideas, Club Penguin couldn’t have existed. And to think it all started with a penguin slipping on a banana peel.
Thank you, Lane, for your drive and grit and determination, and support for so many people’s creative projects. You are an incredibly talented and passionate leader, and have made such a huge impact on this small town in Canada.
Thank you, Dave, for being the heart and musical soul and mentor for all things Penguin, and for encouraging so many people to give back and care for others in the world. Because of your support and your commitment to truth and caring for humanity, Club Penguin also became a driver of positive, philanthropic change. Schools were built where there were none before. Clean water where there was none before. Without your influence at Club Penguin, I probably wouldn’t have joined the team. You are a true inspiration.
Together, the Club Penguin Community helped create such a positive impact in so many areas and places in the world. Hopefully, we made many people’s lives better together, and will continue to do so regardless of the Club Penguin brand or product or virtual world.
Club Penguin will always hold a special place in my heart, and in the hearts of many others around the globe.
Thank you, Club Penguin Community. Can’t wait to see what YOU create over the next 13–17 years.
And as always… Waddle on!