“We're not good people, we just do good things,” the words of David
Maher, one of three Goodwill Gaming members who NL Gamer had the
privilege to interview last Wednesday. At its core, the statement gets
down to what makes the non-profit organization so inspiring and so
radical. Whether or not David, Jeff Smyth, John Michael Bennett, or any
of GG's many other dedicated volunteers consider themselves good people, what they do represent are ordinary people who do amazing things.
For those who've never encountered the organization before (of which I
was one), Goodwill Gaming is an officially recognized non-profit
organization that raises money for children in need. They were founded
in 2010 by John Michael Bennett, Donald Reid and Scott Whelan, who saw
an opportunity to turn their passion for gaming into something
practical, useful and moving. Since its founding, the organization has
managed to raise thousands of dollars to support community efforts and
underprivileged kids, has been interviewed by the CBC, and now looks to
the future to expand what has already been an ambitious and work-heavy
project.
All this and more you can find out on their own website at http://www.goodwillgaming.org
, which includes a more detailed history of the organization, as well
as volunteer bios and additional information about specific events.
Most intriguing to me was their mission statement of clearing the name
'gamer', which tends to evoke images of lazy slobs and insular
homebodies in the minds of the general public. Increasingly the media
harps on the ill effects of gaming (and video gaming in particular); its
abuse; and its creation of obsessiveness, and perpetual bachelorhood in
its defenders. To counter that, GG wanted to show Newfoundland that
gamers could give back, that one's gaming talents could be
helpful, and that gaming does have the power to create a sense of
community and inclusiveness that has long been ignored. If you've spent
any amount of time chatting with the staff at NL Gamer, you'll probably
recognize some similarities in our desire to achieve that same sense of
community.
How does it all work? According to John, Jeff, and David, friendship has
been key in keeping the organization functional. Not only does a good
relationship with each other help diffuse potential conflicts, but it
also allows the team a detailed knowledge of each other's gaming
specialities, as well as which tasks suit which team members best. Even
better, the pool of friends is growing, as it isn't very hard to find
new volunteers. It would seem, given the organization's success, that
it's not just a small percentage of gamers who'd like to show the world
we aren't the stereotypes they think us. Indeed, GG has even drawn
national and international attention, with shout-outs on Montréal radio, and gamers visiting their forums all the way from Sweden and Australia.
The road wasn't all peaches and cream, with a few early naysayers and
occasional technical issues that needed to be worked out on the fly, but
the team was quick to express thanks at the enormous generosity and
support they've received from family and friends since the beginning, as
well as the attitude changes that took place once their detractors
realized their crazy scheme was actually doing something. David glibly
jokes that his mom still asks pointed, practical questions: “You're
going to be able to put this on your resumé
though, right? But you're getting a real job, right?”, but overall
there has been an outpouring of understanding and enthusiasm.
Of course, when dealing
with gaming marathons, tiredness is another problem that comes up (GG's
record for staying up the longest goes to Sarah Boyd, who clocked in a
whopping forty-five hours of game-time!). Not only are efforts on the
job exhausting, but there's a lot of preparation that goes into GG's
marathons, including playing hours of one's chosen game to make sure one
can see it through to the end. For the members of GG, there is such
thing as a “work-game” and a “game-game.”
Though the team would
ultimately like to expand their efforts, they're realistic about taking
it slowly and don't want to overextend themselves. Right now, GG is
focused on gaining an office, as well as being able to offer paid
positions. Relatively new is their involvement in helping kids from
lower-income families afford self-improvement classes and activities,
such as dance and baseball. This latest endeavour is called the R.E.A.L.
Program, and seeks to support families in need by providing hobbies and
entertainment for their children. If any organization sees the value in
hobbies and the good they can do, it's GG, whose members' faces light
up every time they discuss the results of what their doing, as well as
the life-changing effects it can have on the children they're there to
help.
If you'd like to take part
in GG's events but are worried about fitting in, or your skill level at
certain games, the team stressed they have a policy of openness and
inclusiveness. All skill levels are welcome; and friendly, unscheduled
tournaments often spring up alongside planned ones. Additionally, though
their focus tends to be on console gaming, popular card games and
boardgames have also found homes at GG events, with low-pressure Magic
games taking place at their last marathon.
The next planned event is a
game carnival scheduled for November 9th. The entry fee is $5, and
proceeds go towards buying new equipment and other maintenance costs.
Prizes will be awarded for tournaments, and GG promises that the
experience will be “ten hours of fun!”. For more about the event, check
out: http://www.goodwillgaming.org/event-listings.html
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