The Legend of Zelda series took on a whole new life this past weekend at Ottawa’s Algoquin College. Video game developers at the college played various Zelda games for 24 hours to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, adding new life to the word “legend” for the lives of hospitalized children.
The event was part of the worldwide gamer initiative called Extra Life, an annual international gaming marathon that raises money for children’s hospitals around the globe. This year was the first time that Ottawa was part of the event, but hopes are high that they will join in each year.
Extra Life involves more than 3,600 gamers yearly and has raised more than $700,000 in the last three years — $400,000 this past weekend alone. The event itself is made up of many smaller groups of gamers all working together for a common goal — to use a passion for a hobby that often received negative press and turn it into something good — with the full proceeds raised sent directly to the hospital of the group’s choosing.
What makes this experience unique is that it’s up to the gamer which form of gaming they will delve into over the 24-hour period. Be it on a PS3, Xbox 360, PC, handheld device, or even a cellphone, there’s no discrimination when it comes to platform or genre. Even Facebook games count. In the minds of the organizers, the platform of choice is rather inconsequential. What matters is putting a novel group spin on a hobby that is usually perceived as an isolated activity.
Extra Life is just one of numerous gaming-based philanthropic events that go relatively unnoticed in the media, but whose impact is being felt more and more.
In June, the third annual Mario Marathon took place. Three gamers in Lafayette, Ind. played through nine different Mario games, with no stops in the action save to switch games or systems. While this seems simple enough, they raise tens of thousands of dollars each year and donate it to the Child’s Play charity.
Over seven years, Child’s Play has raised more than $6 million so that video game consoles can be put into children’s hospital rooms. The organization also works at granting requests for specific titles.
It doesn’t matter who you are, where you are or what you are playing. Regardless of the charity, regardless of the scale, regardless of the amount raised, the overall mentality here is that every little bit helps. A group of friends, an entire school or an online community that stretches globally — anyone can use a passion for video games to help bring a little joy to those who need it most. Every event, small or large, can have an impact. As Extra Life’s motto states: Play Games. Heal Kids.
For more information or to organize your own gaming marathon, visit extralife.sarcasticgamer.com
And all it takes is a little thought, a weekend and a video game. Why don’t we see more of this in our own communities?
When he’s not teaching junior high school, St. Albert Catholic High School alumnus Derek Mitchell spends his free time connected to a video game console.
