hello there

Today is August 3rd.
Today we should be celebrating a birthday.
Today you would have been 39 years old.
Happy Birthday Evan.
Your time on this planet was short, but I will forever hold the memories of our late-night gaming close to my heart.

Today I kick off my tenth year of Extra Life. When I completed my first event in 2014, I never would have thought that I would still be doing this a decade later. My time with Extra Life has been nothing short of incredible. The outpouring of love and support that I've received through the years fills me with only the best feelings. What an adventure it has been. I could never have imagined that we'd be here when I set my first goal of $100 and received my first $15.00 donation.

This year I'm keeping things really simple. It is my goal to surpass my 10-year fund raising goal of $30,000(that's a lot of zeros) by raising at least $4020. When I hit this goal, I will shave my beard. I will shave it live to the world and once again become a beardless, baby-faced man. And this is why I'm reaching out once again to ask for your support.

Every year, The Children's Hospital at Providence treats thousands of children, regardless of their family's ability to pay. These kids face scary stuff like cancer, cystic fibrosis, and injuries from accidents to name just a few. I'm on a mission to help these kids and I need your help. Pediatric illness is something that my family is all too familiar with. The Children's Hospital and Children's Miracle Network helped us when we needed it the most. In memory of my brother-in-law, Evan Casey. I'm participating in a huge, worldwide celebration of the social impact of gamers of all kinds. From video games to board games to tabletop RPG's, we are playing together to heal kids!

I do plan on keeping things a little more exciting this year as I hit milestones along the way (more info to come)... think spicy food, multicolor beard, dancing... and so much more!

Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. I would not be here without you and your support.

Evan Casey. Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for being my brother. Thank you for playing games. It was a privilege to know you in life and it is an honor to play in your memory.

"CAN'T HURT STEEL!"

Evan Carl Casey 8/3/1984 - 12/19/2001

Evan would use these words to remind us that he wouldn't let his illness control his life and to encourage us to stay strong for him.