Every year on the first Saturday of November, Extra Life, a nonprofit organization, hosts Game Day, where thousands of gamers around the world play online to raise funds for their local children’s hospital.

Taking 1-2-hour shifts each, 15 USD Esports club members will play a variety of games and host tournaments, open to anyone in North America who donates a dollar or more to the cause. They will stream the entirety of Game Day from the USD Esports Arena on their two Twitch accounts. The club will give the funds raised to Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls.

“Extra Life is an awesome opportunity for the USD Esports club to support a great cause by doing what they love,” said Connor Singhisen, assistant director of intramurals, sport clubs and esports. “Gaming has always been a popular late-night event, and seeing the club get excited about a ‘lock-in’ experience, and the effort they have put in to raise money for Sanford Children’s, shows how much of an impact esports can have. We are excited to see the club shatter its donation record in year three of this event!”

The USD Esports club has participated in the Extra Life Game Day since its inception in 2018.

“There’s a personal connection to the cause for a lot of us in the club,” said Derek Bierschbach, president, founder and graduate assistant of the USD Esports club. “My cousin spent the first few months of her life in the NICU at Sanford Children’s Hospital, and in the past, our money raised has gone toward that very NICU. For that reason, I take a lot of pride in my fundraising and take it very seriously.

“We hope it’s a fun event for all our club members to come together and play games for local children.”

Find the USD Esport club’s full Game Day schedule and give to the cause on its fundraising page.

To learn more about USD Esports, visit usd.edu/esports.

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Hanna DeLange
Contact Email usdnews@usd.edu
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