November 11th is a special day in North America as it is known as Veteran's Day in the United States, and it is known as Remembrance Day in Canada.
Instead of posting a press release about games coming out or games being delayed, we at Chalgyr felt that it would be a better idea to promote a charity or two in honor of today.
The most obvious of charities to take a look at is none other than Stackup.org. It started in 2015 to facilitate a strong community of friends, family, and brothers & sisters at arms through the love of video games. Captain Stephen Machuga posted the story of why he began Stackup and it is both terrifying that he was constantly fearful of his surroundings, but he found video games helped him readjust to everyday life.
Stackup has been integral in helping veterans get back on their feet after their time in the service with four different initiatives: Supply Drop, Air Assaults, Phalanx, and StOP. Learn more about these four initiatives and how to support the cause on the website.
Invictus Games Foundation was founded by Prince Harry (yes, that one) after he returned from deployment to Afghanistan. His time in the service opened his eyes to the realities of conflict and disabilities. Thus, Invictus Games Foundation was created as a way to celebrate the unconquered human spirit. Offering recovery for the international wounded, injured, and sick people in service, Invictus Gaming provides a support network and activities in sports, esports, adventurous challenges, and more!
Get more information about Invictus Games Foundation here.
Another great non-profit charity to support is Military & Veteran Gamers whose mission it is to create a safe environment through gaming and mental health peer support programs. It was founded in 2019 and has sent over 100 care packages since inception. On November 11th, they partner with Never Play Alone and Pizza Hut to Provide Pizza for Patriots where veterans, service members, and volunteers get to eat! There are plenty of other programs they offer, so be sure to check out the website for more information.
The Wounded Warrior Project is a livestreaming and gaming initiative designed to build a community of warriors and their families through Discord, gaming activities, and community work. They have over 6000 community members who've streamed video games and have raised $1.4 Million dollars since it began in 2003! This year, Wounded Warrior Project has earned the US Department of Labor HIRE Vets Gold Medallion Award and First Coast Worksite Wellness Council's Healthiest Companies Platinum Award.
There is also a Wounded Warriors Canada program which is a national mental health service provider that began in 2006. They serve professionals in the Canadian Armed Forces, Veterans, Police Officers, Firefighters, Paramedics, Corrections Officers, and more! Wounded Warriors Canada offers training in Trauma Resiliency, Core Trauma Concepts, Peer Support Fundamentals, and Before Operational Stress. The registered charity has provided over 330,000 hours of clinical treatment per year and has invested about $50 million dollars to their programs.
Beginning in 1941, the USO has been the nations leading organization to serve the US military and their families during their time in uniform. They offer around the clock hospitality to service members through a number of specialized programs. The USO is also known for their tours which send celebrities to entertain and convey the nations support of service members. In fact, there are over 250 centers in countries on each content which are operated by thousands of staff and volunteers. Check out the USO here for more details about the organization.
That's all of them for now. Be sure to check out the sites listed to support military veterans and their families whether they are gaming focused or not. And on behalf of Chalgyr's Game Room, have a good Veteran's Day/Remembrance Day.
