Play video games and save children’s lives

A typical day at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia includes doctors and nurses treating hundreds of children. Some of these children come in seeking emergency care while others are children with chronic conditions. Being hospitalized can be a terrifying experience for anyone, but especially children.

CHOP aims to ease the fear of a hospital stay with specialty services such as music therapy, pet therapy, art therapy and support groups. These child life services are not funded by the government and are not reimbursed by the government. Rather, donations are received. Some of these donations come from a group of video gamers who raise money to fund these services.

Each year thousands of local video gamers gather to raise money and collect donations for CHOP. This is done through a 24-hour gaming marathon called Extra Life. Gamers can sign up to fundraise for any one of the 170 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. CHOP is the Philadelphia-area Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

“This program was designed for gamers to help sick kids,” Matt Piontkowski, Cabrini alumnus and coordinator for cause marketing and Children’s Miracle Network at CHOP, said. Piontkowski graduated from Cabrini in 2011. With this, gamers get to do what they do best while raising money to help sick children.

According to Piontkowski 946 gamers were recruited to raise money for CHOP in 2014. These 946 gamers were able to raise $112,648. This number had almost doubled after the 2015 Extra Life marathon came to a close. There were 1,446 recruited members who were able to raise $220,793.

Piontkowski is looking to continue the trend of doubling the amount of donations for the 2016 Extra Life marathon.

“We’re trying to hit that goal or exceed it,” Piontkowski said.

So far, there are 973 gamers recruited to fundraise for CHOP who have been able to raise $73,530.

Piontkowski shared he is quite eager for this year’s marathon seeing as the numbers are not quite where he would like them to be. Fortunately for Piontkowski, registration is quick, easy and free. Visit www.extra-life.org and click join. After that, all that is left is fundraising.

“The biggest thing is for more people to get involved,” Piontkowski said. “Get friends and family involved.” He went on the share that, while Extra Life is best known for video games, anyone is welcome to play any type of game. One could play card games, board games or even stream a family game night. “The number one thing is it’s an easy and fun thing to raise money,” Piontkowski said. “You get to game for a good cause.”

So why does this really matter? How can playing video games for 24 hours really make a difference in a child’s life?

Piontkowski was able to share the story with a long-term patient named Sean.

Piontkowski explained that at 8 years old Sean was diagnosed with primary ciliary disease. PCD is a disease that affects the cilia, tiny structures that line the airways. With PCD, bacteria has no way to easily move through the cilia. Instead the bacteria gets stuck in the airways.

PCD leaves Sean visiting the hospital often. Piontkowski said Sean does not enjoy frequently visiting CHOP but the staff always helps make the most out of the situation.

By participating in Extra Life, hundreds of children like Sean will be given the opportunity to experience the positive atmosphere of healing at CHOP.

“Keep in mind where your money is going,” Piontkowski said. “100 percent of the funds go [to CHOP]. Every cent and every dollar.”

Dan Palumbo, a member of the local Extra Life team Silver Snakes, has been participating in Extra Life since 2011.

“My team and I started out just as three gamers,” Palumbo said. “We now have over 15 dedicated members on our Philadelphia-based team.”

At first, Palumbo and his small team were interested in Extra Life for a much different reason than raising money for children. “[We] were probably honestly more into the event just for the excuse to play video games for 24 hours straight,” Palumbo said.

After their first event, Palumbo realized how much of an impact this event can really make on a young person’s life.

The team raised $1,000 in 2011. Palumbo reminisced about the excitement he felt. He remembered thinking to himself how $1,000 was a huge donation towards CHOP.

Over the next few years Extra Life would leave a larger lasting impact on Palumbo and the rest of the team. Eventually, they would realize just how significant Extra Life really is.

“Little did we realize how much of an impact we’d be making,” Palumbo said. “Sure video games are fun and all, but gradually we realized Extra Life was so much more than that. You start to feel the warmth in your heart that you are actually making a positive difference in the lives of these children and their families.”

In the past six years of participation, Silver Snakes have raised $35,000 in donations towards CHOP. This year’s goal is to raise $30,000, almost doubling their donations six years in the making.

In February of this year Palumbo attended the Extra Life United event.  He initially attended the event at Walt Disney World in Florida as a spectator. When a teammate was no longer able to attend, Palumbo stepped up and became a participant.

At the event, attendees are able to interact with fellow gamers, play games and share in the joys of the larger good that has brought them together.

The event also hosts tournaments throughout the weekend in order to raise money for their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Palumbo won $17,650 for CHOP after coming in third in one of the tournaments.

Although winning the money for CHOP was important to Palumbo, this by far was not his favorite part.

“We got to meet and play games with the kids,” Palumbo said. “Each of these kids have been through so much already in their short time [on Earth]. You could see the true appreciation of our efforts on their faces.”

The Extra Life United event was the tipping point in Palumbo’s participation in Extra Life. He shared that his experience at the event further pushes him to raise money, awareness and recruit more members in hope of others being able to relish in the pure joy Palumbo has for Extra Life.

“I realize that I can continue to make a positive difference in the lives of these kids,” Palumbo said. “And damn does it feel good!”