Birmingham Gamers Play Games to Heal Kids

One of the great things about Extra Life is that gamers can pick any day to play! So while the “official” Extra Life Game Day is November 2nd, many members of our Birmingham Extra Life guild decided to celebrate a little early on October 5th. Many gathered in Birmingham at Forge, a co-working space, to play for 12 hours straight. Old friends and new faces brought their gear and competitive spirits to play video and board games. Even Miracle Kid, Rick, stopped by to join in on the fun. Extra Lifers taught Rick how to play Guitar Hero! Thanks to brain surgery performed at Children’s of Alabama, Rick is seizure-free and was able to rock out without fear of having a seizure. While Rick’s showmanship was evident on the guitar, he really thrived when given the mic. He serenaded everyone with Imagine Dragons songs!

Meanwhile, in Huntsville, members of Extra Life team Max Crit Gaming played for 24 hours, all for the kids at Children’s of Alabama!

Throughout the day, Miracle Kids shared encouraging messages with gamers via video and pictures. Miracle Kid, Ben, and his dad even filmed a YouTube video just for our Extra Lifers and featured it on their YouTube channel, Rad Dad and His Little Lad! Ben received a heart transplant at Children’s of Alabama, and every year his family celebrates Ben’s “Heart Day” on October 16th. We used our early Game Day as an opportunity to film a special “Heart Day” message for Ben!

Some of us may have celebrated Game Day early, but it’s not too late to join in on the fun of Extra Life! You can sign up to play games on behalf of Children’s of Alabama HERE. Whether you play on November 2nd or another day of your choice, kids like Rick and Ben are so grateful that you’ve dedicated your gaming to healing kids like them. Keep up the great work, and happy gaming!