August is always a busy month over at JDRF Game2Give headquarters, and this year it’s even busier! Read on for news about our upcoming Game Over, T1D! event, our latest web and game updates, and our newest Ready Type 1 Ambassador.
Game Over, T1D! August 18–27
Our big August fundraiser kicks off this Friday! Join us for ten days of charity streams, games, prizes, and shenanigans as our awesome community attempts to raise $50K (or more!) for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research.
There’s lots of fun planned, including an Apex Legends tournament, a dance relay, and Mario Kart on the JDRF Twitch channel. Check out the schedule here. Also, watch Twitter and Instagram for a social media contest running throughout the event—we’ll give away ten copies of Diablo IV, plus other prizes, to people who help us spread the word!
If you’re new to Game Over, T1D!, last year’s recap video will get you up to speed:
Planning to join us but haven’t registered your campaign yet? Get on it!
New JDRF Game2Give Website
After months of tinkering in our secret underground laboratory, we’re thrilled to unveil our brand new JDRF Game2Give website! This will be a hub for all of our program news, events, and wins moving forward.
On the site, you can also get to know our Ready Type 1 Ambassadors, view past and upcoming streams, and peruse a growing list of games with T1D connections.
Please bookmark the site and check in often!
Omnipod Bay Goes to Space
Last year we worked with Insulet (makers of the Omnipod® insulin pump) to launch Omnipod Bay, an island that brings the experiences of people with diabetes to the Nintendo Switch™ game Animal Crossing™: New Horizons.
The island recently went extraterrestrial with a new space theme, and it’s out of this world! (Sorry, had to say it.)
April Blackwell, a NASA engineer who lives with T1D, has an avatar on the island. Next Thursday, August 24, April will join us on the JDRF Twitch channel to explore the island and talk about her job, her T1D experiences, and how diabetes hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her very big dreams.
JDRF One World Goes to Washington
Speaking of game updates, our own Roblox game, JDRF One World, also got a facelift in honor of JDRF Children’s Congress.
In July, 160+ delegates from all over the US visited Washington, DC, to advocate for issues important to people with type 1 diabetes. We’ve recreated the experience in Roblox, so now anyone can be a Children’s Congress delegate!
To earn a ticket to JDRF One World’s version of Washington, first you have to gather support for the cause and pack a suitcase for your trip. Then it’s off to the Capitol to convince Congress to support legislation that helps people with T1D. There’s also a challenging obby, photo-ops in front of some famous landmarks, and in-game souvenirs to commemorate the trip.
Streamer Spotlight: Lewabetes
Our newest Ready Type 1 Ambassador, Lewabetes, was diagnosed with T1D in 2008 and his connection to JDRF started on Day 1 when he received a Rufus bear in the hospital. Type 1 didn’t stop him from excelling in college soccer and cycling. He joined the Team Novo Nordisk Elite cycling team in 2017 and has also done a few JDRF Ride to Cure 100-mile bike rides.
Lewabetes discovered JDRF Game2Give in 2022 through his work as a collegiate esports coach. He owns Inner Nerd Gaming, a small esports organization that competes in Apex Legends and hosts tournaments, including last year’s first JDRF Game2Give Apex tournament, which raised $600 during our National Diabetes Awareness Month event in November.
“As gaming enthusiast, it was a wholesome moment when I found out the JDRF had a gaming division to fundraise for type 1 diabetes,” Lewabetes says of his involvement with our program. “The JDRF Game2Give is a community from all around the world that shares a passion for gaming and raising funds for type 1 diabetes research, and I am very excited to be a part of it.”
Lewabetes and Apex return to the JDRF Twitch channel this Friday at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET with a tournament that includes gift cards, JDRF Game2Give hoodies, and game keys as prizes. To enter, donate $10 or more by Thursday night.
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