Why Gamers Extra Life for Kids

Self-proclaimed gaming nerd, Jan Alexander Vitturi-Lochra fell into Extra Life when his agency, Spark Foundry, worked on a pro-bono campaign for Extra Life. He was assigned the project because of his “nerdy love” for his PS4, and since that day has been a firm supporter of Extra Life, recruiting, starting a team and pushing for every donation possible.

A little over two years later, his first daughter, Annina was born, who needed the services of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. For the next 18 months, Annina would receive treatments at Lurie Children’s Hospital.

“Sitting in the waiting room at Lurie Children’s, I have seen kids with all sorts of problems and I could see the same feeling I had in their parents eyes, but for a lot of them, smiles are not that easy because their situations are real and serious. That is what really connects me to Extra Life. A lot of people joke that I do this because I want to game, but they don’t understand what gaming truly means to kids that face situations that no kid should ever face. The feeling I get when I realize my efforts are actually helping… is immense,” says Vitturi-Lochra.

Read the full story of Vitturi-Lochra and his experiences with Lurie Children’s on Extra Life’s community hub. Gamers of all kinds – from console, mobile, PC and tabletop – come together each year to raise funds that help local member hospitals provide treatments, research, charitable care and more for kids.

Extra Life’s official Game Day is November 4, but participants can choose to participate on any day of their choice. Get involved to play games and heal kids!