When gaming meets giving

A father-son duo raises funds for Cook Children’s through video games

Matt Moring has played video games his whole life. His son, Jackson, has played them since he was old enough to hold a controller. Now, together, they give back to Cook Children’s through Extra Life and Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals.

In 2007, Matt and his wife spent time in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with Jackson and his twin brother, Riley. The Moring family experienced one of life’s greatest tragedies when Riley passed away, but rejoiced when Jackson went home after 98 days in the NICU.

Matt and his wife began looking for ways to give back to Cook Children’s. When he discovered Extra Life, he knew it was a perfect fit.

Extra Life is a CMN Hospitals fundraising program focused on games of all kinds. Fundraisers can ask for donations as they play the games of their choice. Extra Life is open to all gamers – from video game enthusiasts to tabletop game lovers, this program is for everyone.

Extra Lifers can fundraise year-round or choose to focus their efforts on Game Day, a 24-hour gaming event. Each year, gamers like Matt and Jackson use Game Day as an opportunity to gather their family and friends to support local children’s hospitals like Cook Children’s.

“It’s a neat way to connect with other people, and it’s something Jackson and I have connected on,” Matt said. “At first, we wondered how people would respond. We said we would play games for 24 hours, and that’s a little different from running a marathon or something. But people really took to it. It really resonated with people, and it’s worked out well for us. Our donors have been really generous throughout the years.”

Extra Life creates an opportunity for all gamers to fundraise through the games they already love.

Matt said the Extra Life website is a great place to start for anyone who’s looking to get involved.

“It’s an online community with message boards for ideas, live chat features and ways to connect with other people,” Matt said. “Cook Children’s has a guild, or a community of people who fundraise. There are fundraising ideas, social media graphics and templates for sending emails. You can even start a Facebook fundraiser on the site, and it all adds to your Extra Life total.”

Through gaming and Extra Life, Matt and Jackson enjoy the opportunity to give back to an organization that touched both of their lives, all while sharing their “why” with their community.

“We’re thankful for Cook Children’s, even though the time we had there was difficult,” Matt said. “We love doing Extra Life, but what we do is the easy part. Our donors support us, and they’ve been so generous. They deserve the biggest shoutout.”