Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/425954
t m c » p u l s e | d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4 35 said Adams. "Recruiting is very essen- tial to us. As a program, we don't ask for money or donations. We ask people to donate their time and their connec- tions. We let them do the asking. So it works a lot like a run, walk or bike ride fundraiser that we are all really familiar with either participating in or sponsor- ing someone else in. Except there's not the caloric output of having to go run, walk or bike. You do what you like to do. You use your passion and you do it to help kids." Additionally, Adams noted Extra Life does not require its participants to commit to playing just video games. Participants can also play tabletop games, board games, card games or $83,000 and had four times as many participants as the previous year's event. Nationwide the event has raised more than $5,000,000, so President of the Houston Extra Life Guild, Dixie Dismukes said she was glad to see how many gamers came together for the cause, especially those who may not be video gaming fanatics. "We all volunteer our free time to spread the word about Extra Life and get more people involved," said Dismukes. "As a volunteer, you get to meet new people with varied inter- ests and backgrounds who all have a common goal—to raise money for kids in the hospital. It's neat to meet people whose path you may not have crossed whatever other game they choose. They can even have their marathon on alternate days or split it up into two. The point, he says, is to find something you love to do and use that passion to help others. "Extra Life is an open-source plat- form," said Adams. "I've never actually heard a good excuse of why somebody couldn't participate. Yes, we do have a game day every fall, but Extra life is designed in such a way that if that day doesn't work, you can do it on a day that does work. If you don't like video games, you can do anything you want." As a reflection of how hard the Houston Extra Life Guild worked this year, Texas Children's raised more than otherwise and work together for some- thing so great." Despite the fact that this year's big event has passed, Adams and the Extra Life Crew will still be fundraising and encouraging gamers to join the cause. Donations are accepted year round. Adams says he feels proud of how far Extra Life has come. "I want to continue growing my friend's legacy," said Adams. "Tori was a fighter and a positive person. She had a profound impact on my life and now she is having a profound impact on tens of thousands of people all over the country. "I think as a person, I am more aware of how many great people there are in this world," he added. "I've gotten the chance to meet families who par- ticipate in Extra Life ferociously who I would have never met before and have these amazing stories. I've learned that children's hospitals are only a couple of points of separation away from any of us. We all seem to have a story about how a children's hospital has affected us. Whether that's our kids, a sibling, a nephew or a niece, you're very hard- pressed to find an Extra Lifer who doesn't have a story about why they are doing this, and they usually have a very personal one." extra life has grown exponentially since its first year. what started as a small in-house fundraiser for texas children's has grown into a worldwide fundraiser for texas children's and other children's miracle network hospitals.