Lady Gaga donates big bucks to Zynga's Japan relief efforts

There's no word on whether Lady Gaga actually likes and/or plays FarmVille, CityVille or the 20-some-odd other Facebook games by Zynga -- but the eccentric pop singer has donated $1.5 million dollars (from sales of her branded Japan Prayer Bracelets) to the company's Japan relief efforts in a partnership with the Red Cross and Save the Children. Other celebs, such as Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears, have recently lent their star power to Zynga's charity efforts as well.

"I'm inspired that my little monsters banded together to help those affected by the terrible tragedy," Gaga says. "What Zynga's players have done for the cause is equally inspiring, and I'm thrilled to partner with them to raise money that will go to Save the Children and the American Red Cross."

In the last two weeks, dedicated Zynga players raised over $2 million dollars by spending real-life cash on items in CityVille, FarmVille, FrontierVille, Words with Friends and a handful of the company's other games. So -- all that adds up to a nice chunk of change for those affected by the disaster overseas.

All of this takes place through Zynga.org, the FarmVille creator's philanthropic branch, which has also raised millions for disaster relief in Haiti and to help animals through the National Audubon Society and ASPCA, among others -- a gesture emulated by other social gaming companies who know players are more than willing to spend a few dollars here and there to make a difference.

Image credits:LadyGaga.com, FarmVille official forums