Extra Life Becomes Extra Lively with ModSquad’s Madcap Fundraising Efforts
Video games, mystery foods, and intentional hair loss. It’s a wacky combination, but for us here at ModSquad, we turn it into a tremendously entertaining way to raise lots of money for sick and injured kids. That’s right, we just finished this year’s installment of Extra Life.
Last weekend, ModSquad banded together for the seventh straight year to support a charity that means so much to us. Extra Life is a marathon video gaming event in which players live stream games and activities for 24 hours straight, with all money raised going to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. As has become our custom, we expand this event to one that spans weeks and not just 24 hours. We kicked things off with a Halloween-themed Second Life party and continued with two weeks of live streaming to build up the hype for the big event. Along the way we hosted a silent auction and had internal ModSquad activities that helped bring in donations before Game Day had arrived.
Us ModSquad folks are not ones to rest on our laurels; we always aim higher. We wanted to surpass last year’s haul ($23,700 at the end of Game Day), and did we ever! Team ModSquad and our friends and families showed up in force, raising more than $63,000! This truly massive amount crushed last year’s final tally. What’s more, Team ModSquad’s fundraising total by the end of Game Day landed us at #15 out of more than 5,000 teams around the world. And while it’s great to be a top-ranking team, what really warms our hearts is the fact that these funds will go to heal sick kids.
To those who played, streamed, raised funds, donated or bid on auction items, and supported our Extra Life efforts, we’re here to say, in our loudest voice, “Thank you!”
To top it off, we had a total blast! From eating questionable food (always a favorite) to ridding team members of their hair (a strangely recurring theme this year), our intrepid players were game for just about anything! With luck you were able to catch some of the proceedings on Twitch. Here’s a rundown of some of our favorite moments.
Members of the ModSquad executive team faced off in a lively round of Mod Feud.
Halsey B. streamed the event on his backyard big screen. Talk about must-see TV!
Throughout the event, players fielded challenges sparked by viewer donations, which ran the gamut from offbeat to downright crazy.
Some of the donation challenges provided an element of difficulty to game-playing, from having to play with just one hand to playing blindfolded (as seen below).
Other donation challenges prompted our players to greater sacrifices. Rochelle H. (below) was a true sport, first dying and then shaving off a section of her hair. But it was for a good cause!
Jeff M. (below) also sacrificed some hair, of the facial variety, much to his wife’s lament.
Josh S. went even further, getting his head buzzed all the way down and applying tanning cream; you can see the before and after of both challenges below. It didn’t distract viewers from wondering why his home was already decorated for Christmas, though.
But easily the most entertaining hair removal process was endured by Brian F. (below). He and Neil C. gamely allowed their legs to be strip-waxed. We think the clip speaks for itself.
But we weren’t done yet with the challenges. Team ModSquad is a hearty bunch, with iron constitutions, and they fearlessly dared to feast upon lots of mysterious foods. Mary P. and friends (below) supported the cause by bravely eating Carolina Reaper Pepper Peanuts during their all-night Extra Life gaming party.
Good-hearted Raymond C. (below) immediately regrets his decision to partake in the food challenge.
Tiziana D. (below) chowed down on some nasty treats thanks to a challenge from her father.
Unfortunately for Ty F. (below), we weren’t yet done with BeanBoozled. She zeroed out with a nasty barf-flavored candy. Sorry, Ty. Remember, it’s for the kids!
And that’s a wrap for 2020. Now let us get some sleep so we can start dreaming about next year!