REGINA – The SaskGames board gaming marathon is raising much needed money for Regina’s most vulnerable at a critical time of year.
“If we have the luxury to sit around a table and play a game, then we are truly among the most blessed,” explained SaskGames founder, Matt Robertson.
More than 120 board game lovers pledged to play non-stop from 10 a.m. Saturday until 10 a.m. Sunday in support of Souls Harbour Rescue Mission.
“Souls Harbour is tactical. They’re in our neighbourhood doing good things. The impact of what they do is very important,” said Robertson.
The mission’s director of development, Katrina Robinson, said in addition to the soup kitchen, they help people in many other areas of need.
“We have two shelters, a men’s and women’s emergency shelter. We have a one year women’s addictions program. We have youth programming, low income housing and a subsidized daycare,” she said.
Unlike the people they’re helping, the biggest challenge for participants will be staying awake.
“Not everyone will stay the full 24 hours but we’re expecting at least 40 people to stay,” said event chairman Murray Bennett. “It gives them a chance to play games that take five or six or seven or eight hours to play and it also gives them a chance to play a bunch of smaller, different games.”
Robertson said he intends to play three different epic games through the night: “There’s going to be some game tension, so that’ll provide some adrenaline, and then I’ll certainly have a coffee or two to keep me going.”
Play with your Food is so popular it sold out in August.
“A lot of people think if you play board games, you’re an uber nerd. We have those, we have regular nerds, we have regular people who like to play games,” Bennett joked.
The annual day of gaming is one of Souls Harbour’s most unique fundraisers.
“There was a horse-racing game at Rebellion, there was a tournament of a game called twilight struggle, there was the mega-game we had in the spring,” he explained.
All of those creative events have turned into a substantial donation to Souls Harbour, to the tune of over $35,000.
Robinson broke down just how far that money goes.
“It’s $3.43 to provide a meal at Souls Harbour. So that’s over 10,000 meals that this group has raised. For a safe night of shelter it’s $24.88 so that’s over 1,400 nights of shelter or three women through our women’s addictions program so they are changing lives today.”
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