Extra Life 2016 -- Will You Be Taking Part?

For the fourth year in a row I've signed on to take part in this awesome fundraiser where we play board games for 24 hours and raise money for Children's Miracle Network hospitals.

Extra Life is an amazing initiative. You can take part too. You SHOULD take part too. 
Really. I mean it. Fun, games and a great cause -- what's not to love?

We are on a mission to save kids through gaming, and there are plenty of ways you can help out!

Join our team!
Use the link below and join the Windsor Gaming Resource team. You will get set up with an individual donation page and your donations also count towards our group goal. (You don't have to be local to Windsor to join our team, we can all play virtually together, and work together as a team to help raise funds "for the kids". )

Each participant chooses a local Children's Miracle Network Hospital to support (my chosen hospital is Sick Kids in Toronto). These kids are facing scary stuff like cancer, cystic fibrosis, injuries from accidents, etc. These hospitals treat thousands of children each year, regardless of their ability to pay (here in Canada we're covered by OHIP, but Sick Kids still needs and welcomes donations that help support the patients and their families).

Or make your own team and participate that way. Start your own local events. Rock this thing. Show people gaming can be used for social good. If you do make your own team, leave a link in the comments and I'll send some love your way.

Donate! 
You can take part by making a pledge. Your donation is tax-deductible and ALL PROCEEDS go to help kids. Last year, Extra Life raised more than $8 million dollars.

Here's a link to my donations page.
All donations are tax refundable, and 100% goes directly to the Children's Miracle Network of Hospitals. 

Donate games to play! 
This is a great chance for companies and publishers (especially independents) to get some exposure. We've got 24 hours of gaming ahead of us and we are going to need some great games to play. In past years our local group has had fantastic support from companies like Mattel, Calliope, Mantic, Z Man, Stronghold, Rio Grande, Game Salute, Blue Orange, and more.

Donate to the Extra Life Auction! 
Every year as part of our local Extra Life event we host a live geek and gaming auction. This is usually the most popular part of the event and draws large crowds. We will be looking for gaming and geek stuff to put in this auction. Used, new, classic or new hotness, we are looking for all types of gaming goodness.


IF YOU'RE IN THE WINDSOR AREA

Come out and game with us!
For the past three years these events have been tremendous fun, and I expect this year will be no different. Some people pop in just a game or two, and some people stay for the entire 24 hours. In the past we've had baked goods, homemade chocolates, coffee, tea and pizza slices for sale. Plus some fun silliness such as our "cheating jar", where you toss in a donation to break a rule. It's always awesome to see the local gaming community come together, hang out, have fun, and raise money for a good cause.

The official date for Extra Life this year is November 5th.  We are still working out the details but it looks like the plan this year will be to split the gaming goodness into two days, at two different locations, playing for 12 hours on the 5th and 12 hours on the 6th for a total of 24 hours of gaming for good.  (I'll add more info once things are finalized).

Participate in the Auction! 
Come out to the live auction and bring some money. We've had really amazing stuff up for auction in previous years and I expect this year will be no different. I know many people use this auction to kickstart their xMas shopping. From fantastic deals, to rare collectibles, it's truly a something for everything type of event.


Overall, there are tons of different ways you can help support this awesome initiative. I urge you to take part this year. Play games, do good, for the kids.

Be a Hero! Help Raise Money for Sick Kids Hospital Toronto #ExtraLife2014

Next weekend I'll be joining in with hundreds of other gamers across North America, playing games for 24 hours straight as part of the 2014 Extra Life Event. Our local team will be playing board games for 24 hours straight to help raise donations for the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.

And you can help. Here's what I'm asking....

Let me have your coffee. Come on, I'm going to be staying up for more then 24 hours straight. I think I'll need the caffeine more then you do. All kidding aside, I'm asking that you take the $2 or $3 you would spend on coffee one day next week and instead donate it. It's super easy. Click through this link and donate directly via the Extra Life website. It's quick, it's secure. You get a charity receipt. All of the proceeds go directly towards helping hospitals in the Children's Miracle Network, in this case the Sick Kids Hospital of Toronto. So what do you say, can you spare me a coffee?

If you're in the Windsor area you can check out the full details for our local event HERE. For the second year in a row our Friendly Local Gaming Store, Brimestone Games, has been awesome enough to plan to stay open overnight for us; providing us with a public place to hold our marathon gaming session. We'll be there from 10:00am on Saturday October 25th until 10:00am on Sunday October 26th.  Even if you aren't up to 24 straight hours of gaming feel free to stop in for a visit or to play a game or three. At 8pm on the 25th there will be a live auction full of all sorts of gaming goodies (with of course all monies raised going towards donations to the Children's Miracle Network).

It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Tries to Play for 25 Hours Straight.... #ExtraLife2013 {sort of Wordless Wednesday}

You wouldn't guess it, but there are people doing some serious good in this photo.

Extra Life 2013: Our team played boardgames for 25 hours straight and raised $1400 for the Sick Kids Hospitals in London and Toronto.

Gaming for Extra Life: Can You Spare a Coffee?

This weekend I am going to be gaming for 25 hours straight. And while that's something I will admit I may have already done at least once or twice in a younger version of this lifetime... This time I'm doing it for charity.

On Saturday Nov.2nd I'll be joining in a public gaming marathon at one of the friendly local game stores, Brimestone Games.  We'll be joining in with hundreds of other gamers across North America, playing games for 25 hours straight as part of the 2013 Extra Life Event.

Personally I'm using this as a chance to raise funds for the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. And you can help. Here's what I'm asking....

Let me have your coffee. Come on, I'm going to be staying up for more then 25 hours straight. I think I'll need the caffeine more then you do. All kidding aside, I'm asking that you take the $2 or $3 you would spend on coffee tomorrow morning and instead donate it. It's super easy. Click through this link and donate directly via the Extra Life website. It's quick, it's secure. You get a charity receipt. All of the proceeds go directly towards helping hospitals in the Children's Miracle Network, in this case the Sick Kids Hospital of Toronto. So what do you say, can you spare me a coffee?

Oh and also, if you are planning on taking part in this year's Extra Life event by gaming for 25 hours straight, I want to hear about it!

Be a Hero ~ Play Games & Raise Money for Sick Kids, #ExtraLife2013

Have you heard of Extra Life? It's a Game-A-Thon, a sort of gaming charity event that helps out local hospitals near you.  This year it takes place on November 2nd.

On an Autumn Saturday each year since 2008, tens of thousands of gamers have joined together to save the lives of local kids in a celebration of gaming culture that we call Extra Life.  From console games to tabletop RPG's to even lawn sports, Extra Life gives people that love to play a chance to do what they love to save lives and make a difference.

You can choose any of the Children's Miracle Network Hospital's near you.  Deanna told me about the event, and how you can support Sick Kids Hospital and I told her I wanted to share with you about it.  So if you want to support Sick Kids, please do!! If not, you can choose whatever hospital from their network that is closest to you.

Sick Kids Hospital is one that I personally used as a child.  I had a problem that wasn't life threatening, and they totally took care of me when other doctors couldn't help.  But that is not what stuck with me the most.  It was the terminally ill children, or ones with major disabilities, that Sick Kids were helping.  I remember playing with some of the kids, or meeting them in the hall.  I remember feeling sad looking at them, and crying that I was wasting the time of the doctors.  These kids were all so sweet and hugged me and told me that it would all be ok that I just had to be brave.  It really stuck with me, and the doctors telling me that each child was important and each person's problem is big to them.

Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto helps kids from around the world and makes each kid feel special and important.

So how do you get involved?

You need to register with them for free.  Then gather tax-deductible donations from friends and family towards the hospital of your choice.

Then on November 2nd (or another day if it works better for you), play any game or games you want!  You can play at home or with your friends or find a local event!  You can choose any gaming platform you like, any type of games!

You can register for free, but they have a $15 Platinum option, which makes you eligible to receive lots of goodies and prizes when you raise $200 in funds!  You can always start out with the free option and then upgrade if you hit the $200 later!

Jump in and support this awesome event by sponsoring a player, or by playing yourself.
I want to know, are YOU going to take part?

The Tabletop Drop: Support Charity, Get Cheap RPGs - Win/Win!!

Just a quick post to tell you guys about an awesome gaming themed charity initiative, The Tabletop Drop.

 

Here's the deal, you buy discounted RPGs via Tabletop Drop and a portion of the funds goes to charity.10% of the proceeds from Tabletop Drop go to Reach Out and Read, a program that is dedicated to getting  gaming books into the hands of kids.

Now you all know how bleeping expensive RPGs are to purchase. A core rulebook for a popular RPG can easily cost over $50. All of the games involved in Tabletop Drop are available as "pay what you want". So you get a great deal, as you can buy a RPG for far less then retail, and you also get to help a great cause.

The RPG selection is set to rotate every so many days. Right now there are four great looking RPGs featured on the Drop and a new set of games will be dropping in 19 days (as of when this was posted).

The RPGs featured in the first drop:

Spears of the Dawn, an African-inspired old-school RPG from the makers of Stars Without Number. Myths and legends await you in the wild and brooding Three Lands where one misstep can mean riches beyond your dreams or a horrible, gruesome death.

Legion, the Sci Fi RPG that allows you to play the role of a militaristic hero who’s goal is to deliver the galaxy from unimaginable evil and destruction. Legion uses cooperative storytelling to create adventure, mystery, and action that will sate any RPG fan’s thirst.

Carmine is an alchemical fantasy RPG with a custom system, introduces the mist-laden world of Carmine, the last bastion of humanity. Will you solve the mysteries you discover in this world or will you succumb to the horrors that await?

Tier, the Enhanced Role Playing Game, is a system built off of DnD 3.5, offers simplified roll mechanics and an innovative classless system for a deeper connection and bigger hand in character’s development.


Interested? Head on over to http://www.thetabletopdrop.com/ and score yourself a fantastic gaming deal, alongside that warm fuzzy feeling of knowing you're helping a great cause.