Behind the Controller: Mason Scheimann of Extra Life Chicago
Extra Life is a community of Gamers who raise funds and awareness for local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Extra Life Chicago is comprised of over 900 gamers who since 2012 have raised over $1.4 million dollars for every child at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. You can get involved with Extra Life by registering for free at Extra-Life.org and participating in Game Day 2022 on November 5th, 2022.
This month, we are going behind the controller with 10 year old Mason Scheimann who has been a part of Extra Life Chicago for the past three years. Mason first learned about Extra Life at a Minecraft convention in Chicago where a presenter shared about gaming for Lurie Children’s. Over the past three years, Mason has hosted a Game Day fundraising event with his closest friends in support of Lurie Children’s.
This year, Mason raised over $1,800 brining his total raised for every child at Lurie Children’s to over $4,200 since 2019. Between Mason and nine of his friends he hosted for Game Day, together they all streamed 90 hours taking them to almost 2 in the morning! Mason’s mom Courtney shared that Mason and his friends “were playing, laughing, chanting “for Lurie’s! Lurie’s!” every time another donation came through!”
In the midst of Mason’s 3rd annual Game Day the local UPS guy came during the fundraiser—Courtney shared that “he came to the door and was like woah what on earth is happening in your house with all these kids?! I said oh! Mason is having a gaming day fundraiser for Lurie Children’s, and explained what it was. I gave him some buffalo chicken mac and cheese from the mac and cheese bar we had out for all the kids to go, and he donated $20! I sent him out with some the stickers and buttons and Lurie Children’s swag. It was SO cool! Such a huge day of such amazing, kind, beautiful people!”
Huge congratulations to Mason and his friends for another successful Game Day for every child at Lurie Children’s! Thank you to Mason, his friends and all his supporters for being an incredible advocates for the Chicagoland community through Extra Life.