A Successful and Inspiring Extra Life Chicago Game Day 2024 for Lurie Children’s!
Extra Life National Game Day weekend just wrapped up, and Extra Life Chicago has a lot to celebrate.
360 incredible gamers came together to raise funds for Lurie Children’s through charity streams, board games, and family game nights. This weekend, our community made a huge positive difference —gaming for the 240,000 patient families that Lurie Children’s serves each year.
To all Extra Life Chicago participants –
A massive thank you for making this Game Day weekend nothing short of epic! It was inspiring to watch so many of you come together and make such a powerful impact for the families at Lurie Children’s. Your passion and dedication help guarantee that every patient who walks through the hospital doors gets access to the best care, top-tier medical staff, cutting-edge medical equipment, and critical emotional support programs. I’m so grateful to each of you for showing up this weekend (and all year long) for Extra Life Chicago and Lurie Children’s.
Together, we raised $39,937.73 on Game Day 2024! Congratulations to everyone for showing up strong, sharing your stories, connecting with your communities, and getting creative—all while gaming for good in support of Lurie Children’s. You’ve all leveled up this cause in a way that’s truly game changing.
Top individual fundraisers of 2024 so far:
1. Elam Blackwell – $11,946.00
2. Michael Conlin – $7,500.00
3. Mike Aparicio – $5,830.00
4. Joshua Veyette – $4,335.00 – @datboijuicemg
5. VGR Kev and The VGRCast – $4,175.69
6. Bob Anderson – $4,090.77 – @bobafterdark
7. Brad P – $4,015.00
8. Jonathen and MaryWendy Smith – $3,760.50 – @shootysticks / @borbujas
9. Jonah Zajdzinski – $3,264.00
10. Melissa Lee-Litowitz – $3,250.00
Game Day Highlights are below! Did we miss your milestone?! Let us know here so we can thank you and give you a shout out!
Lily, our youngest gamer, hosted her first-ever fundraising stream and raised a total of $1,523.00 in 2024 with mom. Her efforts are being recognized by her school for the positive influence she’s having on her community through her passion for gaming. Way to go, Lily!
Bob After Dark joined Extra Life Chicago this May and has made an impressive mark out the gate— already ranking among the top 10 fundraisers of 2024 with $4,090.77 raised. Go, Bob!
Sean Farrell took Game Day to the next level by organizing an in-person event at Miskatonic Brewing in Darien, IL. Supported by Jen Usellis, the event raised over $2,000 in just 12 hours. Jen Usellis also crossed her $3,000 fundraising milestone during the event and is hoping to hit $5,000 by the end of the year!
Payton Witherell hit his fundraising goal of $2,000 during his Game Day stream and earned the title of Elden Lord in under 24 hours. Well done, Elden lord!
Nick Jurczak celebrated an entire weekend of streaming and exceeded his goal of $1,200, turning his Game Day celebration into a multi-day success!
Melissa Lee-Litowitz raised an incredible $3,200 during her annual Game Day stream, which featured some spicy pepper challenges, a guest appearance from Elden lord, Payton, and a Bob Ross painting session. Go, Melissa!
Josh Veyette + team Juice House raised $4,335.00 before the end of Game Day weekend, securing Big Blue for 2025!
Team Wins on Game Day
CMSA eSports not only hit their initial goal but also surpassed their stretch goal during a 24-hour stream, all while highlighting the important services offered by Lurie Children’s Adolescent Medicine team for Trans youth patients. Thank you for being a safe space for the Extra Life LGBTQ+ community!
7th Cavalary Gaming Regiment hosted their first-ever Extra Life Chicago stream, smashing their initial goal of $777 and ultimately raising $3,765 for Lurie Children’s. Thank you for joining this year and making such a tangible difference immediately!
SuperGGRadio and Friends came together for a successful Game Day stream, surpassing their goal of $5,000. Teamwork for the win!
The 405th Midwest Regiment hosted a Twitch stream event and raised $3,264.00! Thank you for showing up for Lurie Children’s!
The Extra Life Chicago Pariveda team crushed their goals and raised $5,512.44 for Lurie Children’s!
The Extra Life Chiago Guild surpassed their initial goal and have raised $21,167 for Lurie Children’s – raising more than any other team for our program! Thank you to all who joined the guild team this year!
Team Olivia breaks the top 10 teams again and raises an impressive $7,360 for the hospital – thank you Team Olivia for raising essential funds for Lurie Children’s year after year!
Wayfinders come in strong with $4,531.00 raised on Game Day! Way to go team!
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed—whether through donations, streams, or events. The commitment shown across the board helps make a real difference for Lurie Children’s, and we couldn’t do it without all of you. Cheers to a successful Game Day and year for Extra Life Chicago!