You can raise money for childhood cancer just by playing video games.
Gamers will unite during Gaming for Josh from June 25 to 27. The virtual fundraiser, hosted by the West Coast Kids Cancer Foundation (WCK), will help support kids with cancer in B.C.
The event was organized in honour of an Abbotsford boy named Josh, who was diagnosed with cancer at 11 and died in 2013 at age 14.
He had a fondness for video games and coped with isolation during treatment by playing online with friends around the world.
Participants are encouraged to pledge donations and spend the weekend playing their favourite video games.
"Stream your play if you want to. You can send us a snapshot of you playing online and then just share it through social media," adds foundation executive director Shannon Hartwig.
A PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, donated by Best Buy Coquitlam, will be awarded to the top fundraisers.
Funds raised will help support programs like WCK Hangouts, a safe virtual space where kids explore activities and connect with peers while engaging with volunteers.
Hartwig describes why the event is so important.
"I think, as a parent, when you have to go through the worst possible thing of losing your child, the biggest fear is that people will forget them and we're not going to forget Josh."
