Last Friday, OU Gaming Club hosted a charity-focused Sooner Dojo Series: Special Edition, presented by McDonald’s Gaming. The event gathered gamers across the university and beyond in support of the Ronald McDonald House at OU Children’s Hospital.
Three games were showcased as a part of the action: Super Smash Brothers: Ultimate, Guilty Gear Strive, and CFB 25.Attendees could sign up for brackets in any three of the games and compete for a cash pot prize, donated by the OU Esports Advisory Board, and McDonald’s gift cards.
The biggest draw of the night, however, was the charity raffle. McDonald’s Gaming provided a custom-built gaming computer to be raffled off to those who donated to the cause.
To great excitement, local Edwin Alvarez won the raffle. He said it was surreal to be able to win, and greatly enjoyed the charity aspect to the normal weekly tournaments.
“I’m really happy that I was able to win [the computer],” Alvarez said. “As for the event itself, I feel like it’s a very good way just to bring people together.”
After the raffle, the fun continued. The tournaments started up across the venue, with both CFB 25and SSBUbeing streamed on OU Esports Twitch channels. Attendees were able to not only play their matches, but also see other matches from their own brackets and in other titles.
Johnathan “JTran” Tran, the tournament organizer for CFB 25, sees the gathering as not just a one-off event for charity, but something that can build a greater community across the OU campus.
“It’s cool because I wanted to create a place where people can come and enjoy playing video games on a Friday night,” Tran said. “This gives a perfect opportunity for people to come and spend their Fridays.”
Sterling Henderson, the main point of contact between OU ECCI and McDonald’s, got the opportunity to stop by.
“It was really exciting to finally get to see [the Sooner Dojo Series],” Henderson said. “Being able to come out and really see the impact it’s having on the broader campus is really cool to see.”
Overall, the OU Gaming Club and OU Department of Esports and Co-Curricular Innovation were able to raise over $2,000 for the Ronald McDonald House at OU Children’s Hospital between Friday’s event and the inaugural Great Plains Showdown with Oklahoma City University.
For Parker Vint, esports production coordinator at OU ECCI, the two events were a showcase of the power of the local gaming community.
“This event is the best one we’ve had,” Vint said. “Bar none, not only with the engagement from the community, over $2,000 raised combined with our last event for the Children’s Hospital. ”
OU ECCI will continue their charity and volunteer efforts for OU Children’s Hospital through the spring semester. If you’re interested in volunteering, keep an eye out for announcements in the OU Gaming Club Discord.
