3 Turns, 2 Hearts, 1 Dream: ModSquad Giddy-Ups for Extra Life
Who said Extra Life is only for gamers?
Not us!
We’ve long been supporting our passion, Extra Life. And we have encouraged our Mods to take it beyond a 25-hour gaming marathon. “Do anything you are passionate about” is something we say every year.
And our Mods do! They paint, quilt, play games (because we do love them) and more to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
But one Mod in Oklahoma, Ashley M., put a cowgirl’s flair into Extra Life by hosting a benefit barrel race for her local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital affiliate, the Oklahoma Children’s Health Foundation.
Wait, What Is Barrel Racing?
Barrel racing is an western equine rodeo event where the winner can be determined by literally thousandths of a second. The course includes three barrels placed in a triangle in the middle of an arena. The rider and horse run into the arena with the clock, which is generally an electronic eye, starting as soon as the team crosses the ‘start’ line,’ and ends after circling each barrel and running home across the ‘finish’ line.
The rules are simple – the team that lays down the fastest time wins.
A common saying among barrel racers is “3 Turns. 2 Hearts. 1 Dream” representing the three barrels, the rider and horse’s hearts, and the dream to win.
Ashley came up with the barrel racing idea when she attended Extra Life United earlier this year. She was inspired by ModSquad’s support of Extra Life, and wanted to do something beyond gaming
“I consider myself ‘gamer adjacent.’ My husband games, my friends game, but I don’t. I blame it on terrible hand-eye coordination. I’ll eat all the bugs, wasabi, and gross candy on game day, but my forte is not gaming. However, my true passion is horseback riding. Barrel racing and trail riding in particular. ModSquad tells us to do what we are passionate about, so I decided to literally walk the walk,” Ashley explains.
She then pitched the idea to a local round-up club, who agreed to help her host and run the event. This partnership sealed the deal.
The Oklahoma City community came together quickly to help. A local, well-known arena donated their space, ModSquad purchased prizes (including belt buckles that would rival those worn on Yellowstone), and the round-up club advertised the race.
Together, more than 60 barrel racers from across the state came to run with their horses to help save the lives of children in the state. In total, they raised over $3,200 from the race to support Team ModSquad’s Extra Life fundraising
“I was really surprised at the turnout,” Ashley recalls. “It’s getting cold here, and the rodeo season is pretty much over. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am really proud of our community. I can’t wait to do it again next year.”
There Is Still Time to Donate to Extra Life
Extra Life isn’t just gaming, and the ways to support Extra Life don’t stop after November’s gaming marathon. In fact, you can donate now until December 31st.
ModSquad also has a special Extra Life Jackery online store that is open until December 23rd. You have a chance to get your own Jackery Solar Generator (generously donated by Jackery) at a discounted rate.
All proceeds go towards Extra Life!
