For nine years running, UFV students have raised money for children in hospitals around the world through the power of gaming, and this year they brought in over $4,000. The computing student association’s (CSA) Child’s Play fundraiser took over the Great Hall of the Student Union Building all day on Friday, November 18, running through the night into Saturday morning. Filling the Great Hall with video games, trading cards, board games, and computers, the event was free and open to anyone, whether they had 10 minutes to kill between classes or were in for the whole 24 hours.
“It’s a charity event so we want to raise a bunch of money, but we also need the event to be enjoyable for students,” explained CSA president James Doull, “otherwise we’re saying, ‘Hey, give us money, because charity,’ so if people aren’t having fun, then what’s the point?”
To raise that money, the CSA ran raffles throughout the day for prizes donated by local businesses. At $2 per entry and with draws every few hours, the prizes kept flowing all day long. Ranging from Dungeons and Dragons books to retro video game consoles, from ocarinas to bobble heads, there was something for geeks of all interests.
“I love some of the donations we get, they’re hilarious,” Doull said with a laugh. “Getting a ukulele is something I never expected, and last year people loved it, so Long and McQuade donated one again this year, and I’m expecting people to go nuts. I love doing the raffles … it’s really fun when people get something that they wouldn’t normally spend money on, and they get really happy. That’s always fun to see.”
The event also partnered with the Canoe to offer $12 meal tickets which included a burger, fries, and a drink with a portion of the proceeds going to charity.
Walking around the Great Hall in the mid-afternoon, the event certainly looked like a success. With crowds gathered around rows of TVs running multiple versions of Super Smash Bros., and a smattering of retro consoles set up along the walls, it was easy for students to drop in and have a bit of fun with fellow gamers. For those looking to stay for a longer time, local business House of Cards brought Magic: the Gathering supplies, a towering pile of board games filled an entire table, and PC gamers in for the long-haul had space to set up computers for some intense LAN party action.
The charity supported by the fundraiser, Child’s Play, raises money to make the lives of children in hospitals a little easier. By supplying hospitals with toys and games, they give kids a chance to focus on something other than scary and sometimes painful hospital stays. The organization, which has also recently expanded to include domestic violence support facilities, is well known in the gaming community, raising large amounts of its donations through other charity drives, streams, and marathons. One of the largest marathons, Desert Bus for Hope, ended its week-long run on November 18, and during it, a Child’s Play employee revealed that supplying therapeutic entertainment costs around $7 per child.
So what does the $4,000 raised by UFV students mean? Not just a 24-hour marathon of fun and games, but 571 hospitalized children both in Canada and around the world given a chance to just be kids again as they fight through battles far more terrifying than any boss monster.
“We needed to pass $4,000 this year in order to break $20,000 raised since this event started nine years ago,” Doull wrote in an email after the event concluded. “So we’re very happy with this event.”
If I’d helped nearly 3,000 children in hospitals, I’d be very happy too.
Jeff was The Cascade's Editor in Chief for the latter half of 2022, having previously served as Digital Media Manager, Culture & Events Editor, and Opinion Editor. One time he held all three of those positions for a month, and he's not sure how he survived that. He started at The Cascade in 2016.