Toronto Film School Gamers Raise “Record” $2,322 During Extra Life Fundraising Event for Sick Kids

A dedicated team of Toronto Film School gamers raised a “record” $2,322.75 during this year’s Extra Life event – the highest ever amount by TFS students participating in the annual fundraiser for sick and injured children.

“This year marked the fourth year TFS hosted Extra Life, and we were able to beat our record of donations collected,” said TFS’s Associate Director of Education Jean-Paul Amore, who also serves as Director of the school’s Video Game Design & Development Diploma program.

“We are extremely proud of our students’ hard work and we congratulate them on hosting a successful Extra Life.”

Since its inception in 2008, Extra Life events around the world have raised more than $50 million for sick and injured kids by bringing together thousands of international video game enthusiasts to play games in support of their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals ­– including SickKids here in Toronto.

This year’s TFS Extra Life team was co-organized by fourth-term Video Game Design & Development student Giacomo Ponzi, graduate Anthony Armstrong, who is now enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program at Yorkville University, and former student Cody Harrison.

Ponzi credited event sponsors including The Hive, the 7,000-square-foot esport venue that donated their space to TFS students for the event; as well as Toronto Film School, which donated the event’s raffle merchandise and refreshments; and Armstrong’s company Green Army Games, the fundraiser’s biggest donor, for making the 14-hour marathon gaming fundraiser the most successful in TFS history.

The event, which kicked off at noon on Saturday, Nov. 2 and didn’t wrap up till early the next morning, drew more than 30 student participants from a range of different TFS and Yorkville programs – some in person, while others streamed from home.

“We were very happy to be able to raise that amount of money. We were very, very excited because everyone helped during the event and everyone was very attached to the cause and wanted to make it work,” Ponzi said.

“Everyone put in a lot of effort to make sure the event was successful and that we reached our goal, and we were very happy with the result.”

All money raised during this year’s Extra Life fundraising event will benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals efforts to raise funds and awareness for its 170 member hospitals across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care.