Mojo is awesome. That's all there is to it. He is a great member of the GIO community, and it's not exactly some obscurity to figure this out. In his time here, he's blogged, he's commented, he's podcasted, he's admined groups, modded Skype chatrooms, been member herded, the whole enchilada. He is by far one of the most popular users on GIO. As anyone would agree, Mojomonkey12 is completely awesome. He's friendly, courteous, generous, helpful, and kind. But, though I could probably go on and on and on about this, I don't want him leaving this blog with a swelled head (hi Mojo! :D), so let's get to the point of this.

He also spearheaded a group of GIO members known as TeamGIO last year on a quest to amass money for a charity known as Extra Life, to raise money for children's hospitals. Not a humongous group, I think there was 26 members on the team, but I'd be damned if it wasn't successful anyways. Mojo gave away several prizes, worked with Saint and Annette Gonzales to get a signed copy of Rock Band 3 for a grand prize, ran graphics contests, and generally whipped the community into a fervor with the intention of helping sick children. And...it worked. We raised over $2222 last year with Jack Gardner alone working aggressively with people in his apartment building to end up with $500. And even besides the money raising itself, it brought that little ragtag group closer together. In fact, if you read my 31/31/31 blog, you'd know I'd probably not be here on GIO now if not for Mojo and TeamGIO. All around, it was a great experience, one I'm eager to participate in once again.

And we have that chance. Once again, TeamGIO will rise for another year with the team of Jack Gardner, Mojomonkey12, and Noobtubin8er coordinating team leadership. TeamGIO 2012 with a good amount of luck will steamroll last years records, and bring together the community while helping sick children. There will most likely be prizes again to get the community excited (I already won a Humble Bundle, huge thanks to Noobtubin8er for that). There is already a team on Extra Life's site you can sign up to (right here). Simply put, it's a great experience, one that will be sure to be great again this year, though none will hold a misty eyed nostalgia for me like last year, that one is too near and dear to my heart.

But wait? What exactly IS Extra Life? Simply, it's a charity event created by and for gamers. On October 20th, the idea is to game for the full 24 hours spanning the day, and pledge a dollar an hour to yourself, or get friends and family to do the same. Can you game on a different day? Can you donate right away? Can you donate without gaming at all? The answer to all these is yes. It is certainly enjoyable to partake in the gaming events of the day (I most likely will be doing some sort of multiplayer myself), but it's not required. All you have to do is either sign up and pick a children's hospital of your choice to donate to, or donate to the goal of a registered team member. Gaming, charity, and camaraderie all blend together to make this a fun experience, one you will be looking back on fondly.

So what do you say? Do you wish to partake in these events? To help sick children to live another day, to donate money to a great cause, and to have fun and develop friendships? If you want, please sign up in the link I provided in the text above. Extra Life is a unique and amazing experience, and there's none better to share it with than the warm and great community here at GIO. People like Mojo, who are selflessly working to provide a fervor and wider knowledge of the events are indeed what makes these people awesome. If you are willing and able,  then good luck, and I will be happy to count you among my teammates while I'm sharing great experiences with friends and acquaintances on this site and providing a trivial sum all in the name of a cause bigger than us all.

~Stranger 2012

Sorry if there are mistakes, I had to do this blog in a hurry due to not having internet at home.