Warwick gaming marathon raises over £5000 for charity
The annual weekend-long gaming marathon, sees students, alumni, and guest gamers completing video games as quickly as possible
Students at the University of Warwick have smashed fundraising records at the annual Warwick’s Awesome Speedruns and Demos (WASD) gaming marathon.
Run by the university’s Computing Society since 2016, the weekend-long event sees students, alumni, and guest gamers racing through video games as quickly as possible. Games included Super Mario 64, indie platformer Pseudoregalia, Celeste and and Mario Kart Wii.
For ten years, the event has raised money for accessibility charity SpecialEffect, who develop assistive technology, including eye-gaze systems that let people with limited mobility play games.
Organisers initially set a £2,000 target, building on last year’s £1,190 total. The marathon quickly passed its previous fundraising record with more than half the weekend still remaining, and by Sunday evening the total had reached £5,036.67.
The milestone brings the overall amount raised by WASD since its launch to £17,000.
Raven Taylor, Computing Society Gaming Coordinator, said: “This year’s WASD was the most ambitious event the team has ever delivered – and the most rewarding.
“A huge amount of work happens behind the scenes to make a weekend like this possible, alongside academic and personal commitments.
"Watching the total rise far beyond expectations and break the fundraising record with half the marathon still to go was an incredible moment for everyone involved.
“The event simply would not exist without the dedication of coordinators, tech crew, commentators, and volunteers, who gave their time and energy throughout the weekend. It was a genuine team effort from start to finish.”