Video Gamers Work At Providing ‘Extra Life’

Gamers of all ages took advantage of the ‘Extra Life’ event at William Penn on Saturday to catch up on some of the latest games, and raise money to help save kids lives.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Who would have thought that gaming and having a good time could help to save a life?

Many of us grew up in arcades, and you could put a quarter in to get extra lives. Today, arcades are all but quiet, but those quarters can be going to help save lives of young kids around the country.

For the Iowa Gamers group, that worked out perfectly this Saturday on the William Penn campus.

Keith Fisher, President of Iowa Gamers, said that nearly 2 years ago the group came across the fund raising mechanism called ‘Extra Life’, which is part of the Children’s Miracle Network. Fisher said that, for him, it is a natural fit because it sounds cool, “and uses the power of gaming to help kids.”

Fisher said that all proceeds raised on Saturday will go to the Children’s Miracle Network at the University of Iowa Hospitals.

That campaign didn’t gain a lot of traction, because the Iowa Gaming group was still young. Fisher didn’t let that early experience deter him from trying it again. Now, two years later, the group helped to raise $1,100 dollars, which put them in to the top 10% of the teams that participated.

During the event on Saturday, attendees could experience the new Halo 5 on XBOX One courtesy of Game Stop. Also, Call of Duty Black Ops 5 was released and was a popular hit with the gaming crowd.

The ‘Extra Life’ gaming days were started in 2008 as a way to honor a young lady that was lost to acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Every year since 2009, other gaming groups, like Iowa Gamers, are able to sign up and designate a hospital to receive the funds they raise.

To learn more about the Extra Life program, you can visit their site HERE, or to learn more about Iowa Gamers, visit their Facebook page HERE.