On April 14, 2026, OU ECCI brought its A-game for Giving Day, bringing back the tradition of the 24-hour livestream for fundraising for the Solidus Fund.
This event, which was produced by Production Team Lead Josh “Toxidious” Watson, lasted from 12 AM on the 14th to 12 AM on the following day. The stream was up on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram for all to see and donate.
The stream raised over $5,000 for the Solidus Fund, which is OU ECCI’s main fund for scholarships, Gaming Lounge upkeep and payroll. While the organization had a goal of $12,000, the amount reached was significant for an event that hadn’t been done in several years.
Watson, who handled the majority of the planning and layout of the stream, was incredibly pleased with the results from the day.
“I started planning in January, and I wrote down a 24-hour schedule with all of the different collaborations I wanted,” Watson said. “It was all very deliberate because I love a lot of the energies that our people bring.”
The stream consisted of a mixture of pre-recorded and live segments, including Q&A sessions from the Media & News and Marketing teams, a “Counter-Strike” vs. “VALORANT” LAN, ECCI coordinators playing “Mario Party,” a karaoke segment and more.
“I’m very happy that we were able to make all of the collaborations happen,” Watson said. “The energies we have in the department are just so intoxicated with how passionate everyone is when it comes to the greater goal of ECCI.”
Much of the stream would not have been possible without everyone at ECCI coming together. Media members like Kaori “kaporisage” Thomas, Bryce “shadtowa” Stansberry and Noah “DrNaOH” Phillips edited footage from prerecorded segments, such as Q&A sessions, to make it viewable. The “Marvel Rivals,” “Counter-Strike” and “VALORANT” teams helped create engaging content to fill slots on the stream.
While the stream had hiccups, such as scheduling delays and problems with changing locations, it was an overall success.
“There are always things that we can improve upon,” Mike “Moog” Aguilar, the OU ECCI Director, said. “This is a positive in the context of student execution. We could always use more money, but one dollar in still shows that there are people who understand and invest and want to be a part of something that is still growing.”
I had been able to help with a handful of the segments, and I was impressed with how much effort went into getting the live segments of the stream running. Coordinating with all the right people is a challenge, and working on a project this large has many opportunities for failure. Despite difficulties, everyone in ECCI was able to come together and deliver a stream we were very proud of.
ECCI is continuing to grow, and the Giving Day stream will hopefully return bigger and better in 2027.
