I chatted with Benjamin Trently, a local gamer who supports Extra Life. Extra Life supports Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals all around the country, including The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
Q: What is Extra Life?
Extra Life is gamers doing what they do best to help sick and injured children at their chosen Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. It is a 24 hour gaming marathon where participants choose a hospital of their choosing to raise money for. The cool thing about Extra Life is that all the funds raised, 100%, stay at the hospital the gamer chooses.
To learn more about Extra Life check out this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHSZ_82wiJg
Q: When did you get involved in Extra Life?
I got involved in Extra Life after seeing a 30 second animated commercial on twitch in 2013. The video spoke to me and I had to check it out. Well 3 years later and I’m still a part of it.
Q: Why did you get involved with Extra Life?
I initially got involved in Extra Life because I played games all day anyways, so it really just made to sense to do it and try to raise money. Over the past 3 years it has evolved to more than just doing it because I played games in my free time. I participate every year now because I just know I need to do this. There is no question anymore of if I want to or not. I participate because deep down, I want to help these sick and injured kids as much as I can.
Q: What are your favorite games to play during the gameathon?
My favorite games to play during the marathon change every year. This year I am looking forward to playing Just Dance (always a crowd favorite, they like to see me make a fool of myself), story-driven games like Valiant Hearts and multiplayer games like League of Legends, which many have enjoyed competitively thanks to LOL accounts that are already level 30. I could play without getting any accounts, but generally the crowd prefer to see me playing at a higher level as it is usually more difficult and therefore more intense. I totally understand that, and I’m sure there are many other players out there who choose to use a lol boost to increase their rank quicker, as it can be quite a slow process trying to build your rank up. I know some people prefer to do it more naturally, but you have to put a lot of hours into playing the game to get to the higher ranks and for some players, that’s just not possible. It can also become a bit boring if you are playing at a level that is below your ability – everyone likes a challenge. That is websites like https://www.unrankedsmurfs.com/ are so pupular. So my favorite games really depend on my mood. I try to play games that are fun for the viewers to watch. I must say, I highly dislike horror games, but always try to bear through one because viewers always like seeing me scream and freak out.
Q: Why is it so important to support the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center?
To me, it is important to support the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center because these kids are in there for days, weeks, and months to years. The funds that I raise through Extra Life help go to get lifesaving equipment, shots, to games and stickers and everything in between to make it so these kids have some normalcy of a childhood while in the hospital. It is important to support Johns Hopkins Children’s Center because these kids need it. By supporting Hopkins Children’s you are helping to save a child’s life, you are helping a child have an extra life.
To learn more, visit Extra Life’s Official Website!