Extra Life: Gamers Giving Back

An extra life. For sick and injured children (and their loving families and friends), receiving top-notch health care might seem like getting an extra life. For gamers, an extra life is a way to keep moving forward in their quest to hit the next level, solve the puzzle, or keep blasting away at those monsters and aliens.

So it seems appropriate that the Extra Life charitable organization brings together the video game community in a 24-hour marathon fundraising event. It’s all in support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, an amazing group of medical centers that focus their efforts on aiding sick kids. For the past six years, ModSquad has participated in this noble cause, raising more than $16,000 during last year’s marathon alone. We’re eagerly anticipating this year’s event, which takes place on Saturday, November 2.

With our strong connection to the video game industry, it might seem that ModSquad and Extra Life are a natural fit. But the impetus behind this partnership goes much deeper. Some of our ModSquad colleagues have first-hand experience with the support given by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. For Director of People Operations Gina Miller, the care given her son by the pediatricians and specialists at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, part of the Children’s Miracle Network, was a godsend. See Gina and other folks from ModSquad talk about what Extra Life means to them in this exclusive video.

As you can see, Extra Life is a big deal for us. So big, in fact, that we can’t contain it to just one day. While the marathon itself kicks off on Saturday, November 2, our events get underway five days early. We’re going to be live-streaming throughout the pre-game week; check our Facebook and Twitter pages for all the details.

Then, on November 2, it’s go time! We’re psyched to be streaming on our client and partner’s site, Mixer. Tune into ModSquad’s Mixer channel starting at 8:00 a.m. PT. Our Operations Center in Sacramento, Austin, and Derry will be host to the live gaming proceedings, as well as Tennessee and other guest locations. In addition to a ton of great gaming activities, you’ll want to tune in for some hilarious donation-based challenges. See your ModSquad friends good-naturedly consume questionable snacks (think sour candies, nasty jelly beans, hot sauces, and more). Pledge money to see our participants sing, run around, stuff their faces, play blindfolded, and perform other feats of derring-do, all for your enjoyment. See a roundup of all of ModSquad’s Extra Life events.

To cap it off, we’ll be making a dollar-for-dollar contribution up to $10,000 based on donations to Team ModSquad. This is your chance to make a big difference in the life of a child; please consider supporting the cause. We’ll see you on Saturday, November 2.