Gamers Gift VR nonprofit is raising money on Twitch to help the sick and elderly

Gamers Gift is a student-run nonprofit that believes in the power of virtual reality. It’s been around for about a year-and-a-half, and in that time, it’s raised over $50,000 and developed ongoing relationships with hospitals and assisted-living facilities, where it hosts monthly VR experiences. Starting today, it’s raising funds on the livestreaming platform Twitch, where founder and CEO Dillon Hill and one other volunteer from the Gamers Gift staff will be playing games like the classic Minesweeper to Grand Theft Auto V.

Hill just finished his first year at University of California, Davis, and volunteer work and games have both been important to him for most of his life. The inspiration for Gamers Gift emerged out of his dissatisfaction with his community service experiences in middle and high school, as well as his personal experiences with games.