Gaming for a cause

For years, friends have played Madden NFL video games to settle scores, prove who has the most football knowledge, or just for bragging rights. 

This weekend, I will be playing it for another cause. About a week ago, on a Twitter group chat I was introduced to former Denver Bronco and Super Bowl champion Nathan Palmer. We had a discussion about the game and I proposed we play each other on YouTube as a fundraiser.

We put our heads together about which charity to give to and decided the Ronald McDonald House Charities would be a good fit.

When Palmer first made it to the NFL, he would play Madden to help him learn plays. Palmer estimates he has played over 10,000 hours. 

I first played Madden NFL as a 9-year-old. Besides being a lot of fun, I learned how plays work and the responsibilities of each position. Though I probably spent way too much time doing it after school, it’s a big reason I now love football and am able to write about it. 

Even the NFL has a Madden Bowl, taking the top players from around the country and awarding a cash prize. ESPN re-broadcasts the event at night and it was a cornerstone of the channel’s early quarantine-era programming.

Esports such as Madden have grown in popularity due in part to the pandemic. While NASCAR couldn’t race, its drivers took part in races on the iracing platform. Those races were shown on Fox Sports in primetime in spring of 2020.

The mission of RMHC is to provide support for families of children with major medical issues. RMHC also provides shelter to families with children undergoing cancer treatments so that the family can stay close to their child.

We have set up a GoFundMe page to raise donations. All funds will go directly to the charity. The game is scheduled for 7 o’clock tonight and will be available to view on demand after completion.

Our goal is to raise $250 for RMHC and to hopefully do this again, potentially with different guests and different games. Donations can be made online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/madden-charity-bowl2022