ModSquad’s Working and Playing to Change Kids’ Health with Extra Life

Here at ModSquad, the first Saturday in November is the biggest day of the year! That’s when the popular Extra Life marathon takes place. It’s the culmination of weeks of fun and fundraising efforts from everyone here at ModSquad, and it couldn’t go to a better cause.

Extra Life is an annual event bringing together thousands of gamers from around the world in a nonstop marathon of video games and other fun shenanigans. It’s all to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® (CMNH), which provides much-needed relief to sick kids and their families. Since 2008, Extra Life has raised over $87 million for CMNH. Donations from gamers and their supporters fund medical care, research, and education that saves and improves the lives of 10 million children each year.

What’s more, this year we’re adding another element to the proceedings that truly makes us proud. We’re not just playing for the kids, as we’ve done since 2014; we’re working too. Our Mods will be keeping things safe and fun online for CMNH and Extra Life. 

Last year, Team ModSquad ranked at #15 of more than 5,000 teams, raising more than $63,000 for CMNH. An impressive figure, to be sure, but one we’re working to surpass. We’re offering many ways to watch, play, participate, and (most of all) donate. That’s where you come in! We have so many ways for you to help while doing the things you love.

In fact, that’s the key to Extra Life’s resounding success year after year. We were fortunate enough to chat with Extra Life founder Jeromy Adams recently. He told us that while the event started as a way for gamers to raise money for a cool cause, it has grown into something much bigger. Participants have found a way to identify something they love and bring that passion to the Extra Life cause. Whether you’re running a marathon or doing a knitting project, there are endless ways to attach Extra Life fundraising to something close to your heart. And that’s just what we’re doing.

On Saturday, November 6, starting at 8:00 A.M. Pacific time, head over to twitch.tv/modsquadinc to watch as Team ModSquad plays games for 25 hours straight. (That’s right, 25 hours — don’t forget to turn back your clocks!) Watch our intrepid gamers play through the day and night, and be sure to cheer them on, especially in the wee hours of the morning, when they need it most! Throughout game day, Team ModSquad players will be taking on increasingly crazy donation challenges. Don’t believe us? Last year our brave participants faced hot wax, head shaving, hot sauce roulette, and mystery pies. What challenges will Team ModSquad face this year? Find out as you support their efforts!

You certainly don’t have to be a gamer to take part in the fun. You can raise funds for the big day with offline fundraisers; have people sponsor you in a favorite activity (like walking or jogging) or host a board game night or a bake sale. In addition, as a way to make this all go further, ModSquad will be making a dollar-to-dollar contribution of up to $35,000, based on donations to Team ModSquad. So to double the power of your gift, please donate to Team ModSquad.

Last year’s online silent auction was a big hit, and we’ve put together a great assemblage of unique goodies for you to bid on, including our infamous Extra Life shirts, original art, handmade crafts, and much more! Place your bids at ModSquad’s online auction, now through November 7.

We’re not waiting until the big day to get things started. On October 22, we’re kicking things off with a wild roller disco-themed party! We’ll be boogieing down to Second Life for our annual virtual soirée to celebrate our participation in Extra Life. We’re also looking forward to showing off our smarts with our internal trivia week event (starting November 1), where answering questions helps raise money for this great cause. To cap it off, we’ve scheduled two full weeks of pre-game live streams hosted by our Mod team, starting October 25 on Twitch. Get a full lineup of streaming events, as well as game-day donation incentives and challenges, and other pertinent deets, on our Extra Life 2021 info page.

Help us support CMNH and the kids and families who truly need our help. Shout it out on social and ask friends and family to share Team ModSquad’s Extra Life page on their social channels. We’ll see you on Saturday, November 6.