Athena vs. COVID-19 Charity Stream

It’s dangerous to go alone. Take this!

You loved the Let’s Plays (cough cough humor me cough cough), and now I’m taking on another project in the name of charity.

For those who have been following on Twitter, this idea started out as wanting to raise some money to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for my local hospital. I have friends who work there, and they are in need of lots of things. I thought that, while the government flails around throwing blame instead of making plans, I could try and help.

And thus, #AthenaVsCOVID19 was born.

Fast forward, and boy was that a circuitous journey. Long story short, in the name of transparency, ease of fundraising, and legitimacy, I’ve decided to tackle this problem from two different angles: one is at the national level, and one is at the local level.

National Level Up

I’ve started a campaign with Direct Relief, a non-profit organization with over 70 years of providing aid during humanitarian crises. They have a four-star rating on Charity Navigator, and have recently thrown their considerable weight behind supporting medical workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I’m hoping to raise $500 for this cause, which will support hospital workers across the nation as the numbers grow and more people need care.

As such, I’ll be hosting a stream on Saturday, April 18, from 8:00am to 5:00pm, to promote this cause. Unfortunately due to other responsibilities, it can’t be longer, but hopefully we can come together, even for a little bit, to  help those in need.

If you can, please donate and check out the stream on Saturday the 18th! (Details below)

Local Power Ups

I’ll also be personally donating at the local level. The hospital still needs stuff, and local stores still need support, so once we hit $200 I’ll be purchasing two cases (about 20 boxes) of gloves to donate to the local hospital from my local supply store.

Also, I’ve heard that food pantries are being hit hard, so I will also be donating 10% of my next three paychecks to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. I was hoping they were on Tiltify, but they’re not, so if you’re feeling generous or would rather donate to the food bank, please use the link above to do so.

So What Will You Be Playing?

Obviously the entire Dragon Age series. Like, twice over.

I jest. I am still working out some technical issues, but if I can get the PS3 and PS4 to play nice, the lineup will probably be a mix of Journey, Life is Strange, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Horizon: Zero Dawn. If I can’t get the PS3 and PS4 to both work without various explosions, there may instead be some Return of the Obra Dinn or Bastion in there, instead.

Obviously I’ll have a clearer picture once I know what setup I can actually make work. Stay tuned for a more detailed schedule as the time draws closer!

[[[UPDATE: For the sake of my sanity, I’ll be sticking to PS4 games for this stream. Maybe one day we’ll all play Dragon Age: Origins together, but for now, we’ll be sticking to newer games. I’m in Eastern Standard Time (EST) and the tentative schedule  is

8:00am – 10:00am – Horizon: Zero Dawn
10:00am-12:00pm – Life is Strange (very interactive blind playthrough)
12:00pm – 2:00pm – Dragon Age: Inquisition (with bonus chat Easter eggs! See below)
2:00pm – 4:00pm – Return of the Obra Dinn (very interactive blind playthrough)
4:00-5:00pm buffer if we get carried away on one of the above games, but maybe some Witcher 3 if there is interest.

It’ll be a fairly relaxed stream, and a mix of “sit back and relax” games and “chat box interactive” games, so stop by throughout the day and see what’s going on!]]]]

BONUS FEATURES

You all know I love Dragon Age, so if you’re in the chat during the stream, be on the lookout for clues for some in-chat Easter eggs you’ll be able to access. I just ask that you don’t spam them once you find them.

MORE BONUS FEATURES

Every two(ish) hours, I’ll be pausing and doing something a little unique for a video game stream. You might say that this was a triumph, even though the night is long and the path is dark, damn what the stars own.

 

Please donate if you’re able! If not, please stop by Twitch on April 18 to say hello and help me get through my first live stream!

Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you soon!
~ Athena