An Orillia man’s gaming prowess is paying off for a children’s hospital.
Jeff Czetwerzuk took part in an online Magic: The Gathering tournament on the weekend and placed third out of 129 competitors from around the world. As a result, $4,000 is being donated to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
“When I saw there was money to be won for the hospital, I signed up,” Czetwerzuk said.
The fundraising tournament was hosted by DreamHack and Extra Life. Czetwerzuk has been fundraising for Extra Life — which sees gamers compete in various tournaments, with money being donated to children’s hospitals in Canada and the United States — for six years. During that time, he had raised more than $1,000. His performance on the weekend eclipsed that amount in two days.
“I was happy just to be a part of a good cause,” he said. “I know a lot of people whose lives were changed because of that hospital.”
Starting the tournament, he “didn’t have many expectations.” Magic: The Gathering tournaments typically take place in person, but the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented that from happening over the past year. So, this was Czetwerzuk’s first time taking part in an online tournament for that game.
When he saw he had moved into eighth place, he was “absolutely shocked.”
“I thought, ‘Now I’m getting some money for SickKids,’” he said.
He was even more shocked when he finished in third, and now the pressure is on for the next tournament.
Those who want to get involved with or learn more about Extra Life can check out its website.
