On October 18th, 2008 over 1600 gamers representing more than a hundred independent gaming communities joined forces to make a difference in the war on pediatric cancer.  It was the first annual Extra Life gaming marathon, and it raised more than $115,000 for our beneficiary, Texas Children’s Cancer Center.

The craziest part of the whole thing was the way it grew.    I remember telling Lono on the phone that the total had surpassed $20,000 and calling him back the same day to tell him it had surpassed $35,000.  For those unfamiliar with Extra Life, it worked a lot like a walk-athon.  Gamers gathered sponsorships of at least 1 dollar an hour from friends and family members for the full 24 hours.  While non-participants might have scoffed at playing video games for 24 straight hours, those that stepped up to answer call will tell you that it ain’t easy.  Not at all.

But in the end we all supported each other throughout the whole ordeal and I believe everyone was elated when the counter finally stopped and the total was revealed.

We’ve already begun preparations for Extra Life 2009, and will be sharing the early details soon.  In the meantime, I hope that all who participated feel the same pride in their community that I do.  There are other fundraisers in gaming that turn in totals far higher than ours, however I do not believe any deliver even a fraction of the heart and passion that Extra Life demonstrated.

For making a difference and bringing gamers together to help kids fight cancer, Extra Life is our number 5 gaming moment of 2008.

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