When Daniel Bong launched Quest for the Cause with a small group of gaming friends in 2012, the video game broadcaster, known as iKasperr to his many fans, experienced the power of video game communities uniting to support a charitable cause.
In December, that cause became St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
As a childhood brain cancer survivor, Daniel was deeply moved by his first-ever visit to St. Jude last spring, and in December, the fifth annual Quest for the Cause, a video game marathon, was dedicated to supporting the kids of St. Jude, generating $121,438.
What inspired Daniel during his visit? “Can I start with everything and then go into more details?” Daniel said. “We wanted to be able to support an amazing cause.”
"You can make a difference no matter where you are in the world. You can do it from the comfort of your own seat."
Quest for the Cause, which goes by the social media handle of #Q4TC, ran nonstop on the popular internet streaming video platform Twitch for 10 days, from December 9-18 and featured 55 broadcasters, 14 artists and six musicians. Many of the core group of #Q4TC video game broadcasters also visited the St. Jude campus in Memphis at last May’s St. Jude PLAY LIVE Summit.
“This was a place where kids can act like kids and still be kids, even with what they are going through,” Daniel said. “It’s not a hopeless place. It is very hopeful.”
Daniel and the Quest for the Cause participants and community felt especially motivated by the fact that their fundraising helps to ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.
“We always try our best to pass along the St. Jude message — these kids deserve a future and to have the ability to live out the rest of their lives,” Daniel said. “That's one of the things we latch onto — they do not have to pay St. Jude a single bill and can have their families close by.”
Daniel hopes people are inspired by the example Quest for the Cause has set, and see possibilities for making their own impact.
“You can make a difference no matter where you are in the world,” Daniel said. “You can do it from the comfort of your own seat.”
You, too, can help give hope to kids who are fighting life-threatening illnesses.
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