Following the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in the US, Games Done Quick is rounding up some speedrunners to raise some money to help out.
At the end of September, Hurricane Helene hit the east coast of the US and in particular caused serious damage across the southern Appalachians, with the National Weather Service explaining that “widespread severe and unprecedented flooding occurred with hundreds of fatalities and billions in property damage.” The death toll is currently at 227, according to AP News, with the full extent of the matter still unclear. As a result, Games Done Quick, the bi-annual speedrunning event that raises money for charities like Doctors Without Borders is hosting a Disaster Relief Done Quick event to aid in the relief efforts.
“From Oct. 11th-13th we will be holding a Disaster Relief Done Quick event to help support those who have been affected by Hurricane Helene,” explained the official Games Done Quick Twitter account. “Donations during the event will go to Direct Relief.” If you’re a speedrunner, you currently have until 11:59pm ET today, October 6, to submit a run, though there are limitations given the hastiness of having to put this event together, like everything being console only and randomisers that require on-stream tracking not being allowed.
If you’ve not heard of Direct Relief before, it’s a charity that “works to equip health professionals in resource-poor communities to meet the challenges of diagnosing and caring for people in need,” and in the case of Hurricane Helene specifically, it’s “already offered assistance to more than 50 safety net healthcare providers in the storm’s path,” and will “continue assessing the needs of impacted areas and providing resources such as emergency medical supplies, hygiene kits, and transportation support.”
Over the course of the past 14 years of GDQ events, more than $50 million has been raised for charity, so hopefully this event will be able to add to that tally in a notable way.
