I received the following email from fellow MVP Zach Wigal. If you are in Eastern Michigan please show your support. This is a great cause!

Zach here. For those who don’t know, I help manage a charity organization called Gamers Outreach Foundation. We fund the construction of portable gaming carts for children’s hospitals, and we also send video game care packages to troops overseas. Each year, we host a fundraising event called Gamers for Giving within the state of Michigan. It’s a competitive gaming event / LAN party that helps support our organization’s activities during the course of the year.

We’ll be hosting Gamers for Giving 2013 at the Eastern Michigan University Student Center during the weekend of February 16th & 17th. At the moment, we’re trying to get the word out to the gaming community. If any of you would be willing to help promote across your social media channels / websites, that would be a huge help! We’re trying to raise $15,000 to support our programs in 2013. We’re managed on a volunteer basis, and entry fees from the event as well as public donations will be directly supporting our initiatives.

I’ve attached our event’s press release to this email. You’ll also find some photos you can use to accompany any content you’d like to produce below. If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to reach out! cc @GamersOutreach on Twitter and we’ll RT your coverage. We’re also using the hashtag #GFG2013 for our event.

Here is the press release:

Gamers for Giving 2013

Eastern Michigan University attracts video game industry influencers & companies for a weekend of eSports competition benefitting charity.

Saline, Mich. – Over the course of February 16th & 17th, the eyes of the interactive entertainment industry will focus on Eastern Michigan University as video game enthusiasts from across the country convene to participate in one of the Midwest’s premier gaming events, Gamers for Giving.

Founded in 2008 by current Eastern Michigan University student Zach Wigal, Gamers for Giving is a non-profit competitive gaming tournament & LAN party that helps raise money for the charity initiatives of Gamers Outreach Foundation. The organization, a 501(c)(3) non-profit within the video game industry, facilitates activities such as building portable gaming carts for children’s hospitals (dubbed “GO Karts”) and sending video game care packages to troops overseas.

“Gamers for Giving is an opportunity for people who love to play video games to come together, share their passion for gaming, and raise money for charity,” says Wigal. “This year, we’re trying to raise $15,000.00 to support the programs of Gamers Outreach. We’ve been able to deliver GO Karts to medical facilities in Michigan, but we’d like to expand the program to additional hospitals both within and outside the state. We’ll also be supporting Eastern’s ROTC program in connection with our military initiatives.”

Supported by the likes of Astro Gaming and the Intel LANFest series, Gamers for Giving features tournaments with cash prizes for the hardcore enthusiast, as well as casual activities for those who enjoy the light-spirited side of gaming. Headline activities include a Halo 4 tournament, a Call of Duty Black Ops 2 tournament, a League of Legends tournament, a StarCraft 2 tournament, and a BYOC (bring your own computer) LAN Party. Entry fees from the event directly support Gamers Outreach programs.

Gamers for Giving 2013 begins on Saturday, February 16th and will end on Sunday, February 17th. The event is taking place within the Eastern Michigan University Student Center Grand Ballroom. Information and registration for this year’s event can be found at http://www.GamersforGiving.org. A live stream will broadcast at twitch.tv/LANFest.

For more information, contact Zach Wigal by email at zwigal@gamersoutreach.org or by phone at 734.476.7506.

And some photos:

Gamers for Giving Halo players
Helen DeVos GO Kart
Gamers Outreach military package
Gamers for Giving StarCraft 2 player