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Muscular Dystrophy Association Announces MDA Let’s Play For A Cure, A Multi-Week Streaming Event Featuring Special Guests Zedd, Voyboy, Trick2g, JonSandman, missharvey and More
MDA Hosting Seven Weeks of Live Gaming and Esports Events, Which Kicked off on September 12 and Takes Place on Twitch Every Saturday until the Main Event on October 24, 2020
NEW YORK, NY – Tuesday, September 29, 2020 – The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced today MDA Let’s Play For A Cure, a multi-week streaming event to drive awareness and fundraising for MDA. Let’s Play For A Cure consists of seven weeks of live gaming and esports events produced and livestreamed by MDA. The events, which began on September 12, will take place on Twitch every Saturday at 7:00pm ET and will culminate in the final marathon stream on October 24, running simultaneously with The MDA Kevin Hart Kids Telethon at 8:00pm ET.
Each week will feature top talent and gaming influencers, including GRAMMY® Award-winning artist/DJ/producer/gamer Zedd, 5x Counter Strike World Champion missharvey, Voyboy, Trick2g, JonSandman, and members of Counter Logic Gaming, among others, and showcase the most popular game titles, including League of Legends, Rocket League, Fortnite, Fall Guys and Call of Duty. More updates on talent for upcoming streams will be announced at a later date.
The main event on October 24 will feature 10 hours of content, kicking off at 2:00pm ET. Special guest Zedd will return and be the main host of the gaming marathon that will run alongside the live broadcast. The stream will also feature special appearances by missharvey, along with esports athletes from Counter Logic Gaming and Call of Duty League, who will be dropping by throughout the day.
MDA is an active member of the gaming community through MDA Let’s Play, a platform to raise funds for research, care and advocacy, for over 300,000 people in the United States, living with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related neuromuscular diseases. MDA Let’s Play is a year-round gaming community that comes together every weekend to play games.
“We started MDA Let’s Play over a year ago to give our community a place where they can have both independence and fun with friends in an open, inclusive and safe space,” said MDA President and CEO Lynn O’Connor Vos. “Since then, we’ve seen the momentum of gaming for good within our own community – and in the power to raise funds for non-profits. Funding is critical right now in the time of COVID-19 as many of our in-person events are not possible, which is why we’re excited about the potential of MDA Let’s Play for a Cure. We are grateful for the generosity of the gaming community, who are helping raise awareness and support for people living with neuromuscular diseases.”
“As an active member of the MDA Let’s Play community, I am really excited to see MDA Let’s Play for a Cure come to life. I can’t wait to see the gaming community come out in a big way and support a cause so dear to my heart,” said Fabiola Amaya, Houston MDA Ambassador and MDA Let's Play Moderator.
Participating sponsors in the MDA Let’s Play For A Cure event include Shake Shack, AOC Gaming, Discord and GameStop. Each will be providing giveaways such as gaming monitors, annual Nitro subscriptions, and gift cards during the live streams to incentivize fundraising.
For a complete schedule of events, please see below:
- September 12 - COMPLETED
- Format: 3-4 hour stream
- Game: Minecraft
- Participants: SuperSamJam, Door, Upmind, Beaniez
- September 26 - COMPLETED
- Format: 3-4 hour stream
- Game: Fall Guys
- Participants: Zedd
- October 3
- October 4 (Original stream postponed)
- Format: 3-4 hour stream
- Game: Rocket League
- Participants: JonSandman and Mamba Mode Gaming
- October 10
- Format: 3-4 hour stream
- Game: Call of Duty
- Participants: missharvey and Clayster of NY Subliners
- October 17
- Format: 4-6 hour tournament
- Game: Fortnite
- Participants: TBA
- October 24
- Format: 6-8 hour streamathon
- Game: Variety
- Participants: Zedd and missharvey
Funds raised from these events will go directly to MDA to provide funding for research that is shared freely to develop treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy, ALS and over 43 related neuromuscular diseases including Duchenne and SMA. Funding also supports a network of medical care teams at over 150 MDA Care Centers at the nation’s top medical institutions.
For more than 70 years, the Muscular Dystrophy Association has funded research and care for over 300,000 people in the United States living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases.
MEDIA CONTACTS
CSM
Janelle Grai | janelle.grai@csm.com
Muscular Dystrophy Association
Mary Fiance | telethonpress@mdausa.org
Download Key Art at mda.org/lets-play/media
About the Muscular Dystrophy Association
For 70 years, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has been committed to transforming the lives of people living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases. We do this through innovations in science and innovations in care. As the largest source of funding for neuromuscular disease research outside of the federal government, MDA has committed more than $1 billion since our inception to accelerate the discovery of therapies and cures. Research we have supported is directly linked to life-changing therapies across multiple neuromuscular diseases. MDA's MOVR is the first and only data hub that aggregates clinical, genetic, and patient-reported data for multiple neuromuscular diseases to improve health outcomes and accelerate drug development. MDA supports the largest network of multidisciplinary clinics providing best in class care at more than 150 of the nation's top medical institutions. Our Resource Center serves the community with one-on-one specialized support, and we offer educational conferences, events, and materials for families and healthcare providers. Each year thousands of children and young adults learn vital life skills and gain independence at summer camp and through recreational programs, at no cost to families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, MDA continues to produce virtual events and programming to support our community when in-person events and activities are not possible. MDA’s COVID-19 guidelines and virtual events are posted at mda.org/COVID19. For more information, visit mda.org.
