UVM Medical Center

This Saturday November 3, video gamers throughout Vermont and Northern New York will try to top each other and competitors around the world playing Dungeons & Dragons, Monopoly and many other kinds of match-ups for 24 hours straight, but the real winners will be the kids who need care at the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital. More than 200 players in our region are expected to join in the fun this year.

Extra Life is an annual fundraiser of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN) that helps support its member hospitals across the country. The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital, the only CMN hospital in the state, has received $341,500 since it began participating in Extra Life in 2011.

The Extra Life funds help UVM Children’s Hospital cover the costs of a variety of programs in clinical care, research and education. They have paid for studies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, chairs in the Infusion Bay for children who need intravenous therapies, updates to a teen room, and portable cribs provided to families that qualify as part of the Safe Sleep project.

“The funds that we raise are incredibly important for our patient care,” says Jacqueline Woodwell, event supervisor for the UVM Medical Center Foundation. “We’re so grateful to the local businesses and community members who devote so much time to make this event a success.”

Giving back

When Mike Driscoll, of Williston, Vt., learned about Extra Life, he embraced the chance to channel his gaming prowess into a worthy cause. “I can play video games for a day straight and make money and do good with it,” he says.

Driscoll knows first-hand the good that the UVM Children’s Hospital’s does. His son, who is now 6, underwent a series of surgeries as an infant related to a problem at birth. It was a scary time, made easier by the expertise of the hospital’s pediatric caregivers, Driscoll says.

“I knew I wanted to give back in some way, and this was a way to do it.”

His Extra Life fundraising tally has already exceeded his $500 goal.

Gratitude on tap

Personal experience is also the impetus for Amy and Matt Cohen, the owners of Fiddlehead Brewing Company, who have relied on the UVM Children’s Hospital to provide a significant amount of care to their 11-year-old son Noah since the day he was born. The Shelburne craft brewer has supported Noah’s “Team Mastermind” since 2014 with proceeds from sales of a special edition of its Mastermind double-IPA.

In 2016 alone, Fiddlehead’s efforts helped the UVM Children’s Hospital receive a $30,000 prize as the top Extra Life fundraiser per capita in the country. Including that award, the hospital collected about $168,000 that year.

A fun reason to come to the hospital

On game day, UVM Medical Center will convert its extra large McClure Conference Room into an Extra Life gathering spot. Tables will be set up for video gamers or board game bouts. Last year, a giant projector for virtual reality gaming was a big hit, says Desiree Hammel, an Extra Life team organizer for the medical center. Last year, the “UVM Med Center Gamers” team had 50 members, but between 75 and 100 people showed up to play, she says.

At the first UVM Children’s Hospital event that Hammel attended, someone pinned a preemie diaper to her shirt, and she was shocked by its tiny size. She keeps these little ones in mind throughout her 24 hours of game play.

“I like that I get to contribute to them in this way,” Hammel says. “It is one of the most rewarding feelings, participating in Extra Life.”

Local VIPs bring their best game

Vermont Information Processing, a company that develops logistical software systems for beverage distributors, has organized an Extra Life team for the past four years. The company has 50 players signed up and has pledged to donate $100 for every employee on the team, says Elise Keroack, the VIP team organizer.

“They want to be part of the community,” she says. “They want to give back.”

Team members will gather on game day, which officially begins at 8 a.m. Nov. 3, at VIP headquarters in Colchester in a conference room equipped with large screens to connect to Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, Keroack says. Some players will bring their own computers or game consoles, and one VIP group might organize a basketball or hockey game during the marathon.

Any type of play is acceptable for Extra Life.

To learn more about Extra Life or to register to play on November 3rd in support the UVM Children’s Hospital, visit Extra-Life.org.