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Golden Bear E-Sports Club to Play in Extra Life Fundraiser Event

On Saturday, November 7, the Golden Bear E-Sports Club (GBE) will participate in a 24-hour livestream gaming event designed to raise money in support of the WVU Medicine Children’s, the University’s children’s hospital. The event is part of Saturday’s Extra Life Con 2015.

The livestream will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday and play will go on until 9 a.m. Sunday morning. Those who wish to watch the livestream or make donations can do so through the Extra Life website.

Dakota Knotts, a WVU Tech information systems major and secretary for GBE, said that the event aligns with the club’s mission to bring gamers together under a common goal.

“I believe that getting involved in this event was a great opportunity for us to support those who need it. There are many people who have supported us and now it is our time to show support and give back in any way we can. This event has done a great job of bringing the club together. Every member has shown so much initiative and determination to do the best they can,” he said.

Dr. Matthew Williamson, WVU Tech professor of computer science and information systems and faculty advisor to GBE, said the club – which has only been in operation for two semesters – is heading in the right direction.

“They already have teams set up. Some of our teams are either participating in collegiate events, have participated or will be participating,” he said. “The group has also been running tournaments in partnership with some of the campus organizations, such as ACM, American Institute of Chemical Engineers and Sigma Pi.”

Williamson said the group is particularly keen to ply their skills in fundraising efforts, like last semester’s TechLan event with the Association for Computing Machinery, which raised more than $1,200 for the American Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Participating in fundraising events, such as Extra Life, shows that GBE is not just about playing games or competing in tournaments. This is about being part of something that can make a huge impact on children’s lives. When GBE was asked to be part of Extra Life, they said “Yes” without hesitating; not because this was another event that they could host, but because it’s an opportunity to help save lives,” he said.

“We just need everyone to spread the word,” said Williamson. “Tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell your Facebook friends. I’d love to see this group say they were able to raise an enormous amount of money for such a great cause.”