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The Game Docs Take on Dreamscape’s next Charity Stream
The Game Docs Take on Dreamscape’s next Charity Stream
Bryan and Tom are two longtime friends, who share a love for gaming. In college, they used to get together on the daily and play various games, in some cases up to 5-6 hours a day! The way they put it, to say the least, they were addicted! Super Smash Bros was always their go-to game while in school. But Bryan is the big Nintendo fan of the group. Today, he has been focusing much of his time to Smash Ultimate but in the past played a lot of Pokemon, which was always a favorite. While Tom, on the other hand, loves them all! However, Tom’s favorite game hands down is Overwatch. He also plays Rocket League, Subnautica and other indie games such as Rime on stream.
The Early Days of Youtube and Twitch
While attending college at Seton Hall University, before Bryan and Tom took the Game Docs name, Tom went to Italy for a study abroad program. While he was there, since he didn’t have his daily fix of gaming, he went to Youtube and started watching Youtube channels dedicated to gaming. After watching for a while, he had an idea and thought to himself “I could do this”. Then started thinking of who could join him and after a phone call to his friend Bryan, he knew he found his partner. Thus, the Game Docs Youtube Channel was born! In 2017, after about 2 years of consistently adding new content to their channel, Bryan began pushing the pair towards Twitch. They decided it would be best to ease their way into the transition. So, little by little, they started phasing out their content on Youtube and increased their time streaming on Twitch. Today, they focus almost entirely on Twitch, except for adding some highlight footage to their old Youtube Channel.
The Game Docs and Charity Streams
Tom and Bryan have always been up for helping out those in need. Before they became the Game Docs, they did their first few events for Extra Life. Extra Life helps bring thousands of gamers worldwide together, to help support their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Once the Game Docs were founded, they completed their first official stream for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Overall, in a 3-year time frame, they raised $3,000 for Extra Life and over $1,500 for St. Jude’s. An incredibly generous gesture for kids of that age.
Additionally, this isn’t their first time working with the Dreamscape Foundation. Our founder, Joseph Sehwani, also attended Seton Hall University and met them first as friends. Sehwani used to join them on occasion to play some video games or just hang out. Dreamscape Foundation, being in its early days, was eager to start doing some fundraising events and partnered with the two for its first Charity Stream events. Both the Dreamscape Foundation and the Game Docs are excited to bring it back to the beginning again on Saturday, April 20th, with a much higher goal of $600 in mind! But overall, the main focus as always is to make sure everyone has fun and enjoys themselves!
Where are the Funds Going?
This time around, the Dreamscape Foundation is looking to help Audrey Pickett. Audrey is a local and dedicated member of the Hannibal YMCA in Missouri, who has lived her entire life in a wheelchair. She has been attending personal training sessions at the YMCA for about 6 months now and has seen a tremendous improvement to her physical and mental strength! The biggest benefit besides just gaining some muscle in her upper body and “toning up for bikini season” as she likes to joke, is she can stand noticeably longer when she has the opportunity to stand out of her chair. This was a major motivator for Audrey and it made her want to continue with her training at the YMCA. Our campaign is going to help her pay for additional training sessions and if any is left over, to helping the YMCA obtain more accessible equipment to benefit all their disabled members.
Giveaways for our Selfless Donors!
We are no stranger to charity streams, and we a super appreciative to our donors! In the past, we’ve given away Amazon gift cards along with streamer specific prizes. This event is no different! If you donate at least $10 during our stream on Tiltify, you will be entered to win a Super Smash Bros Gamecube controller, along with a mystery amiibo figure! Take a look at our entire prize list, and the gift cards we will be raffling out to our wonderful community:
We urge everyone to tune in this Saturday, April 20th starting at 12 pm EST, to the Game Docs Twitch Charity Stream event and support this amazing girl! Every little bit goes a long way and all we can ask is to give what you can! Even if you cannot afford to donate at this time, we would still love to see you all there to enjoy the fun and just have a great time!
« PreviousNext »MissSunshyne plays CS:GO & Cooks in 12 hour Stream for Charity!
MissSunshyne plays CS:GO & Cooks in 12 hour Stream for Charity!
Charity events are known as an epicenter of joy and selflessness. While the number of donations raised is the only obvious differences, the memories made by these events and the support given are all mirrored from past fundraisers. Whether you’re seeking a relaxing yet entertaining way to spend your day, or just looking for a place to hang out, we’ve got the event for you! Our next fundraising campaign will be hosted by Sierra aka MissSunshyne, on Friday, April 5th starting at 10 am and finishing at 10 pm!
The rise of Twitch.tv
Did you know that fundraising events are evolving with new technology? If you aren’t an avid gamer or a casual member of an online community, you may not be familiar with the online streaming service known as Twitch.tv. The website is formally known as ‘Justin.tv’ decided to stick to gaming content, as they witnessed most of their live streamers were in fact, playing video games. Streamers and viewers are able to interact with each other (through a twitch provided chatroom) while playing some of their favorite games! When a streamer rises themselves through the ranks, gaining their own specific fan-base, the options of entertainment are almost limitless. Here, streamers can find their niche to really build a following that understands them as a person, and also as a gamer.
About Sierra aka MissSunshyne
We met Sierra earlier this year and could instantly feel her vibrant charm. The 25-year-old full-time streamer from Melbourne, FL started streaming back in September 2017. We conversed with Sierra over her twitch history, and says she “started [streaming] for fun, and it eventually turned into a full-time job”. Sierra continues, “I have a background in marketing and graphic design”, and “I really enjoy working with people”. This came as no surprise. Sierra’s energy, humble atmosphere, and personal interactions are all second to none. When you typically enter Sierra’s chatroom with a ‘Hello’, she almost instantly acknowledges you and makes you feel welcome. “Streaming is a really good way to use a lot of my talents, and it’s been a great experience!” She even has a movie viewing experience with her subscribers, one Sunday a month. Now that’s valuing your community!
Where are the donations going?
Have you ever been stuck at home with no possible way to explore the land around you? Unable to experience a new setting due to the lack of immediate funds? These thoughts are a reality for Anita Rutland, who was diagnosed at 38 with the rare disease called Porphyria, that left her in a wheelchair. As a former Emergency Medical Technician, she is now in need of your support! We are hoping to make a big dent into Anita’s fundraiser with your help! All of your donations will be going towards a wheelchair accessible vehicle, so she can finally get out of the house and live her life again.
What we have planned for the Stream!
A typical Twitch stream definitely does not run over 6-8 hours. Sierra will be putting 12 uninterrupted hours into this charity stream! This will only be her second 12 hour stream, as well as her very first stream dedicated to charity. This brings her quite the excitement. We are in high hopes to raise at least $1,250 for Anita Rutland! Over the 12 hours, she plans on streaming the game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Rated M for Mature). We also plan to have a few donation goal incentives, such as pieing her husband in the face! That’s not even all of it. Sierra also regularly hosts a cooking segment on her stream! When coordinating for this event, Sierra went out of her way to ask what Anita’s favorite dish was, so she could make it LIVE on stream. A gesture we did not expect!
Giveaways are a standard for charity events on Twitch. Dreamscape Foundation’s fundraiser is no different. We plan to giveaway CS:GO and Dreamscape merchandise, random steam keys, and even a $250 Amazon Gift Card! (Depending on your donation tier) MissSunshyne also plans to host her own giveaways, one of a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Gun Skin (AK47 – ‘Bloodsport’ Skin) and one of her home-baked cookies! (Only ships to North America) All one needs to do to enter, is to donate to Anita’s cause during the stream and we will work out the rest! We so look forward to all the fun happenings April 5th, 10am-10pm EST, and we hope you are too. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Plazma Streams for Joy
Plazma Streams for Joy
Plazma is a 17-year-old streamer from the Netherlands. Like many, he grew up gaming before being drawn to the online streaming community. Now he’s connecting with viewers on the digital ‘sphere with an encouraging message and interactive experience open to all.
Dreamscape Foundation delves into his backstory as well as his involvement in supporting our mission.
Who is Plazma?
His real name is Haike Van Rooij, but his audience/community knows him best as Plazma, a League of Legends streamer on Twitch. At age 6, he was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Autism, yet he hasn’t let it slow him down. Instead, he spent several years receiving help to work through some of the challenges that came with his diagnosis.
That isn’t to say he hasn’t experienced the impact of ADD and Autism. There have been times when the label that came with his diagnosis felt like a stigma.
“People often separate you from the rest; as in they are normal and you are strange,” Plazma explained. “It’s like you’re being tagged and you can’t get rid of that tag.”
However, bullying was never really something he experienced firsthand. With a strong support system of friends and family, he doesn’t let those “tags” hold him back.
“I actually never really cared about [my diagnosis] because yeah, it’s real, but it doesn’t really matter that I have a condition,” he said. “I’m just myself.”
Plazma turned to streaming because he wanted to do something that made a difference in people’s lives. He received a lot of support from friends, family members, and people online, encouraging him to grow his channel.
“Making people happy makes me happy and it keeps me motivated,” Plazma said.
It helps that the computer is his favorite gaming platform. As a streamer, he’s able to share that passion with others while creating a community that isn’t limited to state lines or country borders.
Streaming for a Cause
As Plazma joined the streaming community, he encountered the Kool Kits, a stream team on Twitch. Impressed with how interactive the audience was and how everyone was having a great time, he decided to stick around the channel. That eventually led to him getting involved with the team.
Kool Kits recently did a stream for Dreamscape Foundation during our holiday fundraising. Plazma was part of their team during this event. One look at our mission and goal made him want to work alongside us to help others with disabilities.
In fact, he is now an active part of our community, spreading the word in whatever way he can to help us reach a bigger audience/share the dream. When asked about the event, his response was a humble one.
“Definitely check out everyone at the kool kits,” he said. “They made it possible for me to help Dreamscape and given me the [opportunity] to go further with streaming.”
A Word of Inspiration
While young, Plazma has been adamant about embracing life to the fullest. When asked for any words of wisdom for others who are struggling with ADD or Autism, his words were encouraging.
“Whatever condition you have, don’t see it as a disability,” he said. “See it as a possibility.”
You can check out Plazma’s Twitch channel at https://www.twitch.tv/officialplazma or follow him on Twitter.
« PreviousNext »Twitch.tv and Fundraising
Twitch.tv and Fundraising
Twitch is a social media and video live streaming platform in the gaming community where players can come together. Amongst a multitude of other similar video streaming and online communication mediums, Twitch is at the forefront.
As of 2017, Twitch raised over an astounding 75 million dollars for 100 different charitable initiatives. The gaming community has over 45 million gaming members, which makes it a perfect resource for charity fundraising.
Twitch hosts many prominent events that bring the community together to support initiatives. The events range from Cancer Prevention Awareness to Doctors Without Borders, & even Dreamscape Foundation.
Having the ability to live stream from any location in order to put people in the front row of any event is huge. Donators or investors can get the experience of what the initiatives and charities offer.
Twitch connects to multiple social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter giving them the ability to reach an even larger worldwide audience to spread the word about charity events, ways to donate and making people aware of causes that don’t receive as much spotlight.
Live interviews and Q&A sessions provide the viewers with direct communication with the charities. Direct connection encourages people to engage and ask questions, breaking down communication barriers and sparking more awareness as well.
While charities usually set up web links to crowd funding pages that provide viewers with details about the initiative, Dreamscape has worked to build their own. Our fundraising tool, built right into the website, lets them view interactive videos and click to donate options similar to popular sites Indiegogo, Kickstarter and GoFundMe.
Giving people the ability to do everything at home or on the go is another great option. Physical involvement in charities can be time consuming, but with the advent of live streaming technologies it has become increasingly easier to get the message out there. Users not only can view streams, but they can also save live moments for later and share them across most social media platforms.
Twitch streamers usually offer fixed length streams at multiple time intervals. Common lengths are five daily streams, and broadcasts up to 6, 12, even 24 hours! 48 hour or more are typically associated with huge events such as marathons, spanning long duration’s or involving extravagant situations. There are also times when the streams can run indefinitely until the goal is reached called “Until Too Tired to Continue”.
The streaming service is also available on consoles and streaming devices like Xbox, PlayStation, Amazon Fire TV and NVIDIA Shield to name a few. Twitch has a strong base in the gaming, entertainment community and online world. On Thursday, March 15th, 2018 popular streamer Ninja was playing the game Fortnite with superstars Drake, Travis Scott, and Pittsburgh Steeler WR Juju Smith-Schuster. The stream was viewed live by right under a million different people.
Twitch is a great fundraising tool because it provides such an all-encompassing video platform to build an audience, promote awareness within the community about a charity and through 3rd party resources bring in donations to achieve goals. Twitch holds the top spot as of now for leading video streaming/gaming domain and with more and more initiatives gaining success through the community it will be exciting to see how Twitch will continue to grow and expand into an even more useful resource for charities and other organizations.
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