For the last 30-something years I have been playing games. I enjoy board games, video games, card games, mobile games, pretty much any type of game, but I never thought that my gaming could be beneficial to anyone. That was until I was introduced to Extra Life.
Extra Life brings gamers together each year to raise money for local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to save and improve the lives of sick and injured kids. It began in 2008 as a way of honoring a young lady named Victoria Enmon. Tori’s battle against acute lymphoblastic leukemia inspired the Sarcastic Gamer Community (a now defunct video game blog and community site) to start what would eventually become Extra Life. Members of the gaming community sent in video games and bought gifts to cheer up Tori during her treatments with the disease. Since Tori was a big gamer, it only made sense. Tragically, Tori lost her battle with cancer in January 2008. Later that year, the members of Sarcastic Gamer kicked around the idea of Extra Life, a 24-hour video game marathon to raise money for the hospital that treated and fought beside Tori. In 2008 and 2009 Extra Life raised a combined $302,000, 100 percent of which went directly to help kids like Tori at Texas Children’s Hospital. After that, the idea was expanded and now includes all Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across the country. Since 2008, Extra Life has raised more than $40 million for children.
You can see Tori’s story here:
This is my fourth year doing the 24-hour game marathon in conjunction with NeonBomb and all the money raised at our events goes to our local hospital, which is Boston Children’s Hospital. Last year, we raised $1,970 for BCH bringing our total amount raised to $4,165.41 and this year we are hoping to raise even more. NeonBomb will be hosting the 24-hour marathon on November 3, 2018 at 10 a.m. We will be playing mostly board games and card games for the entire 24 hours with occasional video games mixed in.
Anyone is welcome to drop in and participate. Over the last few events most of the people who show up donate some money and play a few games with us. You are not obligated to spend the entire 24 hours with us, but we are relatively fun people, so the time is well spent.
People sometimes ask me why I do this event. To me it is simple: it is my way to give something back to the community. I believe that we should all be giving in some way, instead of taking. Only then can we truly understand what it means to be alive. I will continue to participate in this event until I am physically unable to. It is truly a worthy cause.
What: 24 Hour Game Marathon for Charity
When: November 3-4 at 10 a.m.
Where: NeonBomb
260 Mammoth Road, Manchester, NH
Why: Raise money for sick and injured kids
- For more information about Extra Life or to find out how to sign up, head on over to the Extra Life website: Extra Life
- Check out NeonBomb’s Facebook event page here: 24 Hour Game Marathon at NeonBomb
- If you would like to donate to one of our members check out our team page: Team NeonBomb
Jeff Normandin has been a huge nerd for most of his life. He primarily focuses on video games but also enjoys comic books, films, TV shows and quietly building Gundams. He is the co-organizer of Queen City Kamikaze, a local nerd convention, and he is co-owner of NeonBomb at 260 Mammoth Road in Manchester (neonbomb.com). Do you have an event coming up? Do you have a nerdish hobby you are looking to connect with fellow nerds on? Interesting input that you would like to get the word out on? Send it over to jeff@neonbomb.com, subject line: Nerd Alert.
