There are so many things that make me proud right now that I don’t know where to start.
Note: This article is an autotranslation. For the original article, click on Français in the menu.
Let’s start with the event as a whole. In ten years, Lan JDL has evolved considerably compared to its predecessor: the number of participants has doubled, the number of volunteers on site has exploded, the LAN hosts two other events (Stream-O-Thon and Meet-Up Twitch), etc. However, one thing has not changed: its soul. People don’t go to Lan JDL for scholarships or to win medals, because there aren’t any. They go to have fun. Lan JDL brings back the notion of celebration that has always been part of the expression “LAN Party.” It’s an unforgettable experience that gives the new generation a glimpse of the recreational LANs that were popular some twenty years ago.
Let’s continue with the Stream-O-Thon. $100,126.69… one hundred thousand, one hundred twenty-six dollars and sixty-nine cents… WOW! An official message from the Virtual Guardians Foundation (VGF) will be released soon, so here is my personal message. I still can’t believe it. You know me, money isn’t a huge motivating factor for me. I probably would never have won the Prix Hommage bénévolat-Québec in the youth category if I had calculated how much time I gave to the community. What moves me, however, is the fact that the community rallied to support what the FGV does.
[Here I would like to make a brief aside: I have heard loud and clear that it is not easy to explain or understand what FGV does as a whole. I had the same comment at No Reset. In the coming weeks, I will give the team the task of finding a sentence that sums up what we do (e.g., the Digital Street Workers program, which itself has several components, the creation of prevention and awareness tools, participation in numerous scientific research projects, the development of our conferences and training programs, the Connected Youth Collaborative Action Table, support for various community organizations that want to carry out activities related to video games or digital technology, the establishment of a network of digital beacons (digital social network), etc.).]
Something that particularly moved me over the weekend was the many comments I received from people whom the FGV has helped over the years. In particular, there was a card with an extremely touching message. Thank you for taking the time and having the courage to come and talk to me about it directly. These are by far the most wonderful rewards I could have received.
Thanks also to Lan JDL and its army of volunteers for organizing the Stream-O-Thon → Without you, the event would never have happened.
Thank you to the streamers, both those who were there in person and those who joined remotely → You were the cornerstone of our mobilization efforts. Your energy was felt throughout Quebec.
Thank you to all donors, large and small, individuals and corporations → $100,126.69 is a huge amount!
Thank you to our partners and sponsors → Thanks to your support, the event is able to grow every year.
