Gaming for Good. Games on the Plains raising money for sick kids.
Twenty-four hours of gaming isn’t enough, so Games on the Plains is leveling up. The next daylong gameathon hits November 5-6. So does Daylight Saving Time. The result, a 25-hour event. Talk about bonus time!
GOTP aims to build connections within the gaming community. Jake Kohl and Evan Balko founded GOTP for nostalgic reasons. “We yearn back to going to someone’s house and sharing a console. Now you can play online at home. It doesn’t have the same feel,” says Kohl.
Co-Founder Jake Kohl
Co-Founder Evan Balko
In addition to the camaraderie, gaming events also help bust the stereotype Kohl hears all the time “that gamers are lonely, introverted, big, fat dudes with Doritos all over [them].” With gaming predominantly online says Kohl, there’s “less coming together, less opportunity to showcase that it’s communal. Gamers can be introverted. There are also ones that get out there. It’s like the Shrek thing with the onion…lot of layers.”
Constantly fighting stereotypes helps Kohl see the world differently. “It helps to walk in other peoples’ shoes. There’s an empathy level. The Black Lives Matter, this is what they’re feeling. You understand the feelings.”
GOTP hosts a gaming event twice a year. Kohl and Balko are trying something new during the upcoming event on November 5-6 at the Prairie Den. It’s called gaming for good. They’re teaming up with Extra Life to make the 25-hour event a fundraiser, with proceeds going to Sanford’s Children’s Hospital. It’s a no-brainer for Kohl. “You’re going to play games, why not play for good?”
Playing games, hanging out with friends, and helping sick kids. What more do you need? Pizza? Don’t worry. They’ve got you covered. “It’s classic food for gamers. I will own that stereotype,” says Kohl. They’re also thinking of a late-night brunch at 2:00 a.m. Or, since it’s Daylight Saving Time, maybe they’ll do it at second 2:00 a.m.
EVENT DETAILS:
November 5 – November 6
10 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The Prairie Den
BYO Device