Extra Life downtime caused by DDoS attack (update)

The official website for Extra Life 2013 is experiencing downtime due to a DDoS attack, according to an update from founder and director Jeromy Adams on the organization's Facebook page.

Extra Life is an annual 25-hour gaming marathon that raises money for kids at Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. The attack was apparently aimed at the site's datacenter.

"I am so sorry that you are going through this frustration today," Adams wrote. "Our entire team is purely heartbroken that someone would do this. But it has happened. As frustrating as this is for everyone involved, it pales in comparison to what the kids we're trying to save go through. That reality, for me personally, is about the only thing keeping me somewhat calm right now.

"I am very angry and very sorry. You deserve better than this. The kids deserve better than this. Extra Life has given a lot of us some of the happiest moments in our lives. This is not one of those moments. Please hang with us through this."

At the time of this post, the website appears to still be experiencing difficulties.

Earlier this week, livestreamers on Twitch raised more than $8 million for charities — a number organizers expected to increase "exponentially" during the marathon today.

UPDATE: The official website is back online as of 9:30 p.m. ET, according to an update on the event's official Facebook page.