Imagine an entire floor of an office building filled with computer screens, gaming consoles and of course, gamers.
That’s what’s happening downtown at EPCOR Tower this weekend for Extra Life Edmonton’s Game Day fundraiser. Money raised in the campaign goes to the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
“This event helps us in incredible ways,” said Mike House, president and CEO of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“First of all, it accesses the passion people have for both children and for playing board games, video games, electronic games, and marrying them together.
“Many of the people who are participating, not just here but all across northern Alberta, have ties to the Stollery. This is a way for everybody to engage and give back but also help those kids who are the sickest, who we want to give the best chance to live a long and healthy life.”
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President of the Edmonton chapter, Ramin Ostad, said the event’s taken over the entire 16th floor of EPCOR Tower.
“It was donated to us by Qualico,” Ostad said. “They were gracious enough to donate the floor as well as the Internet and power.
“We have about 200 gamers — 170 powered gamers and about 30 or so tabletop and board gamers — all gaming for 25 hours and fundraising for the Stollery.”
Ostad said organizers hope the marathon gaming session will help break last year’s city-wide total.
“The city total has gone up every year,” he said. “Last year as a city, Edmonton raised about $201,000 for the Stollery.”
READ MORE: 24-hour gaming marathon raises money for Stollery Children’s Hospital
Ostad said his team’s goal for the Game Day event is $94,500.
“We really try to put that money towards two things: patient outcomes and family-centred care,” House said.
“Patient outcomes could be anything from equipment to recruiting the best doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, to research to other kinds of activities. Family-centred care is really about creating a great experience, not just for the child patient but also for their moms, dads, their brothers, their sisters, who often have to also come to the hospital.”
The 24-hour marathon gaming session wraps up at 2 p.m Sunday. But the fundraising campaign actually extends to the end of November. You can sign up or donate by visiting the Extra Life website.
— With files from Emily Mertz, Global News
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