By Jeremy Hannaford (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: November 12, 2014
The morning of November 7 found a series of chalk arrows directing students to the U-House. Those who followed them would have found themselves among a plethora of games and good company at the Computer Student Association (CSA)’s Child’s Play event.
Child’s Play is a worldwide charity event in which toys, games, and cash donations are given to children in hospitals. As a bonus, gamers are encouraged to game with others throughout the day.
The list of games to play was extensive: board games, card games, a sea of Nintendo consoles, Minecraft, and even a classic Atari 2600. Along with them, tonnes of friendly and excited gamers were present to play and chat with. I took part in a game of Cards Against Humanity for the first time ever and it lasted three wonderful hours. The entire event was reminiscent of a classic LAN party from back in my days at high school.
UFV business student Milan Grewal, who had turned up just to see what the event was about, found the whole occasion to be beyond her expectations.
“It’s the best way to spend a Friday evening,” Grewal said.
At the centre of the event was the raffle and donation system dedicated to Child’s Play. Gamers were able to donate money in exchange for food and drinks, or a full dinner from AfterMath for those who contributed $15. They also received tickets for one of several draws that were held that night.
The various prizes included a novelty Titan sword, a collector’s edition of Watch Dogs, gamer clothing and accessories, and more. In addition to the several draws, prizes were awarded to the winners of Magic, Smash Bros for 3DS, and Minecraft tournaments. Good humour and fun was a constant theme of the event, especially when the contestant with the lowest Minecraft score was rewarded with a Minecraft how-to construction book. The prizes were donated from fellow students and several retailers, including Toy Traders, Willow Games, and Mike’s Computer Shop.
One of the draw’s highlights was when UFV student Liam Cook chose a mystery box prize which included a Retro 3DS.
“When I opened it, I thought it was impossible. I just about exploded with happiness. I thought it was going to be a box of potatoes,” Cook commented.
Not only was the event a night of good times and prizes, but also one of achieving long-time goals. CSA vice president John Knightingale was thrilled with the received donations.
“We had the goal to break $10,000 since we’ve started running this event at UFV, which started about seven years ago. We started at around $160-200 a year. Tonight we have made $3,200, and that’s just from university students.”
The event broke the original goal of $10,000. Knightingale expressed his gratitude towards all those who helped with the event.
“We do have a number of volunteers not [directly] associated with the organization and they simply wanted to help,” he said.
The event, in all, was a massive success for CSA and the Child’s Play charity. It was a night of laughs and nostalgia, as fellow UFV students collected together for games and fun in the name of a good cause.
