Sarah Ford | January 21, 2015
Video-Game Marathon Raises $1.5-Million for Prevent Cancer Foundation
By Rebecca Koenig
For six days in early January, hundreds of young men and women in comfortable clothes gathered around television screens in a hotel outside of Washington, D.C. They had two objectives: to complete entire video games as quickly as possible and raise as much money as possible for the Prevent Cancer Foundation.
The small nonprofit collected $1.5-million in donations during the 165-hour event, the sixth annual Awesome Games Done Quick video-game marathon.
The gathering draws gamers from around the world to play favorites like the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Tetris: the Grand Master. Rather than simply progress through levels, gamers competed in “speedrunning,” a style of play that requires advance planning and intimate knowledge of the details of each game.
Nearly 1,000 video-game fans took turns playing and watching in person, while 9.4 million viewers followed along via livestream on twitch.tv, a site that makes video gaming a spectator event and made donations through the Games Done Quick website.
Get Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox
Explore More Articles
Congratulations to Our Members Recognized Among America’s Favorite Charities
Each year, The Chronicle of Philanthropy releases its list of America’s Favorite Charities—the 100 nonprofits that raise the most from individual donors, foundations, and corporate…
Read Article
The Future of Corporate Giving: How Nonprofits Can Prepare
Corporate giving is a valuable part of the nonprofit funding ecosystem. Companies large and small have incorporated philanthropic efforts into their overall business plans, from…
Read Article
Join Us at the Workplace Fundraising & Volunteering Summit!
We’re excited to announce that America’s Charities President, Jim Starr, and Board Member, Fernando Lorence of JP Morgan Chase, will be speaking at the Workplace…
Read ArticleGet Resources and Insights Straight To Your Inbox
Receive our monthly/bi-monthly newsletter filled with information about causes, nonprofit impact, and topics important for corporate social responsibility and employee engagement professionals, including disaster response, workplace giving, matching gifts, employee assistance funds, volunteering, scholarship award program management, grantmaking, and other philanthropic initiatives.
