One of the things I love about tabletop gaming is how it fosters a community. It’s especially awesome when that community can give back to the local community around it.
Gamers Giving is a non-profit organization dedicated to exactly this sort of thing. One of its largest events each year is ThanksGaming, a sort of mini-convention that raises money for various local charities. In the past, the event has raised money for food shelves, veterans’ support groups, and other programs. In October, ThanksGaming is back — and this time, it’s personal.
Earlier this year, the seven year-old daughter of a member of our local gamer family was diagnosed with type-ALL leukemia. While Taylor fights the good fight against her cancer, lengthy hospital stays and necessary work absences have taken their toll on her family’s finances. That’s where Gamers Giving can help.
ThanksGaming 2016 will be a 24-hour gaming event held on October 8-9 at Total Escape Games in Broomfield, Colorado. In addition to a crazy amount of RPG gaming going on, there will also be door prizes, a silent auction, and the usual madness that seeps through the cracks around hour 19 of non-stop games.
If you’d like see what games are being run – or, you know, sign up to play something – you can do so here. (Note that you can browse games, but won’t be able to sign up for anything until you register for the event on the website.) If you’d like to help out Taylor and her family, but won’t be able to make it to the event (because you live in Japan or Minnesota or something), you can still contribute to their fundraiser directly here.
Please share the links and spread the word. With your help, we can make this year’s ThanksGaming the best one yet!
