In a recent charity livestream on Twitch and YouTube, the ESA Foundation raised more than $468,000 for future scholarships and charities. The livestream took place from December 14 through 18 and featured multiple streamers so that the gaming community could say goodbye to 2020 and welcome in the new year with donations to a good cause.
The ESA, or the Entertainment Software Association, is a gaming industry lobby, so it's only natural that it publicly shares the view that video games nurture people’s creativity and provide learning opportunities to diverse communities through the ability to collaborate with others. The organization believes that video games give the power to blend multiple different fields together, such as art, science, and technology, while also bringing people together in a wonderful way. It gives scholarships to future innovators in the gaming industry as well as grants.
During the ESA Foundation's biggest charity livestream of the year, it raised more than $468,000 for the future of gaming. The stream, titled “Say Goodbye to 2020 – For Good,” happened on Twitch as well as YouTube, and brought in a total of 40 streamers to participate in it. Of the total raised, $389,634 is going to go directly to the ESA Foundation, where it will be used to fund its scholarship program for women and minority students leading into the 2021-2022 school year. This will also include the support for the video game arts and science degrees, as well as collegiate esports athletes. The ESA Foundation says that the minimum that the scholarships will support will be 26 students. The total will also be going directly to the ESA Foundation’s ability to partner with nonprofits as well as schools for educational programs that are focused on STEAM skills. The remainder of the money that was raised by the 40 streamers will be going to multiple other charities, such as Black Girls Code and No Kid Hungry.
The entire goal of this was to end 2020 on as positive a note as possible and help out people who need it the most, and to bring happiness through the gaming community. With the amount of money that was raised for the future of gaming, many students will get the chance to work in that industry because of the ESA Foundation and its successful stream. Recently, Twitch itself has pitched in, giving massive $1 million donation to AbleGamers.
Charity livestreams are becoming a more and more popular way of raising money for good causes. The biggest of all, Games Done Quick, has continued to raise money for charity despite the immense challenges COVID-19 poses for in-person gatherings, and it seems likely that streams for good causes will only become more common as the pandemic continues.
Source: ESA Foundation