EMU Today

MEDIA ADVISORY

What: The 11th annual Gamers for Giving fundraiser. The event seeks to raise $500,000 in support of providing entertainment to hospitalized children and their families.

When: Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24.

Where: The Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center.

About: Gamers for Giving is a weekend-long competitive gaming tournament, LAN party and streamathon that raises money in support of Gamers Outreach programs. Gamers spread out all over, covering the Convocation Center’s court area. It’s quite a sight, and worth recording visually.

Since 2008, the organization has been working to improve the patient experience in hospitals through digital entertainment – video games – in an attempt to ease the burdens of treatment. Through its “Project GO Kart” and “Player 2” programs, the organization estimates it has capacity to provide recreation to more than 1.1 million children annually in hospitals across the U.S.

Who: Gamers for Giving was founded and is run by EMU alumnus Zach Wigal. He is a 2016 graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a degree in marketing, and was named to the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 class in the “Games” category. Wigal is the founder of Gamers Outreach Foundation, a nonprofit that helps children cope with long-term medical treatment by providing gaming hardware and software to hospitals, including CS Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. He was recently featured on CNN for his efforts and innovation.

For further information on this weekend’s fundraiser, see the event website.

Contact for advance media interviews: Zach Wigal can be reached at 734.476.7506. Leave a message if he does not pick up immediately.

Media are also welcome to cover the event. Please contact Geoff Larcom, EMU director of media relations, at glarcom@emich.edu.