This past Saturday, December 2nd, volunteers from all over the Pittsburgh area descended upon our office in the city for Hundred Heroes Day! This was to be the culmination of our Hundred Heroes program in which we selected one hundred individuals and military units, both in the U.S. and their Allies, to receive a Supply Crate complete with a console of choice and all the gaming goodies along with it.
Some of the requests we received were humbling, to say the least, and we wanted to share just a few with you:
My husband spent just under 7 years in the MC and had 4 deployments. He was injured in Afghanistan, cutting his dream of a career in the Marine Corps. He was shot multiple times and blown up. Now he relies on a prosthetic and a wheelchair for mobility. He doesn’t let it get him down.
My team leader and I were hit by an IED in Afghanistan. My team leader did not survive and I received a severe TBI (traumatic brain injury) while losing my right arm
I am writing for my husband who was active duty for just under 15yrs until a combat injury forced him to medically retire from the Marine Corps. He has had many surgeries and is getting ready to have 2 more back to back within the next few months and this would be awesome for him to have while he is recovering to play and still be able to engage with our 3 kids in a fun way!
Lost left leg above the knee, amongst other injuries, in November 2006 during a combat mission in Ramadi, Iraq. Recovered at Walter Reed until 2009. Reclassified to Intelligence in 2010. Deployed to Afghanistan in March of 2011. Deployed to Kuwait in July 2011. Returned home August 2012. Medically retired in July 2013 with a 330% disability rating.
Again, these are just four of the requests we received, there are 96 others, each one as compelling as the next.
The men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and their Allies are truly special individuals who have sacrificed so much for all of us. Giving back, with a little bit of gaming love, is what Stack Up is here for. It is our way of saying thanks, and as gamers ourselves, we know all too well the healing power of gaming, from serious therapy to something as simple as being able to game with your kids again.
We can not express enough thanks to the volunteers who arrived like a small army to help us assemble these crates and get them ready for shipping. Folks from Microsoft, ProFromGo, and the Twitch Pittsburgh Community all pitched in alongside members of our Pittsburgh Stack to make light work of the crate packing.
We had the chance to broadcast some of the excitement on Periscope during the event and for those who missed it, we have the video available below:]
All in all, $81,928 of physical gear was paired with another $156,174 in digital download game codes, which means that this year’s Stack-Up “Hundred Heroes” Day will be pushing out $238,102 in gaming gear to U.S. and Allied veterans around the globe this holiday.
We could never have succeeded in this endeavor were it not for our amazing supporters! We want to thank all of the streamers and their communities who came out in support for our Call To Arms events throughout the year.
We also would like to thank all of our friends within the gaming industry who consistently donate their games and hardware to our cause. With all of us working together, we are making things just a bit better for those in uniform!
Here is looking to 2018 and may it be a fantastic year, for all of our supporters, Stack Members, Streamers, and their families and for those serving in the U.S. military and our Allies around the world, we hope the new year speeds you safely home to those you love, safe and sound.
From all of us at Stack Up to all of you, have a great and fantastic holiday season!