Philanthropic gamer waiting in line for a Wii U to give away for charity

A Chicago gamer is waiting outside an FYE retailer to secure himself a Nintendo Wii U console when it releases this Sunday so that he can give it away in a raffle at a food drive to benefit the Chicago Food Depository.

The 27-year-old founder of "I Play Games", an organization that runs events for gamers, Kevin Fair told RedEye Chicago that he got the idea to wait in line from his friend in New York, who currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the first person in line to buy almost every Nintendo console.

Instead of buying the console for himself, Fair wants to give the Wii U away in a raffle to encourage people to donate food to the food drive.

"It's been really fun," Fair said of his experience so far. "I'm doing what I would do at home. People really understand and support the cause."

Fair's supporters have been offering him blankets and bringing him food and drinks, while the staff at FYE have given him a place to charge his phone. Legally, Fair is only allowed to wait outside the store during business hours otherwise the police can intervene, so he waits in line each morning when the store opens at 8:30 a.m. and leaves at 8 p.m.

The Wii U is out in North America on Nov. 18.