On Nov. 5, AACC’s Arnold Campus Gamers managed to raise $1,000 for Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital, the local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 25-hour marathon.

“Extra Life is an organization that raises money for children’s charities by having people have these game days,” Daniel Nickerson, who help organized the event, said.  “You game for 24 hours—25 today, because today we roll back the clocks—and you get people to sponsor you.  The money goes to John Hopkins Children Hospital.”

The children, who all suffer from ailments such as cancer and cystic fibrosis, benefit by medical treatments thanks to the money raised by the Arnold Campus Gamers.

Games such as Overwatch, Mario Kart, Pokémon Stadium 2, and Mario Party were streamed on the streaming site Twitch.tv so people could watch and pledge money.

“I had seen some people do it before and I was thinking that it would be cool to do it myself one day,” Nickerson said of starting the event.  “I got pulled aside at a comic con and I signed up on a whim with my friend; I had some trouble finding a place to do it but my other friend offered to help me do it on campus.  It worked out.  We had a few bumps in the road getting there, but it’s cool to be able to pull it off here.”

The money raised within the 25-hour time frame helped to bring awareness to the social impact gamers had, as the money from the year prior was a total of well over $8 million.

“We tried to work with two main groups, CCO and the E-sports club; we also put up fliers.  Even after we do the stream, people can still donate,” Nickerson said.  “It’s been really fun to be able to put this on.”

Students willing to contribute can still donate at www.extra-life.org/team/atAACC.