Image Courtesy Sean Rooney

By Chris Brown

Raising money for Alberta Childrens' Hospital

Public #Dominicstrong 25-hour marathon game day returns for 10th anniversary

Oct 30, 2022 | 10:00 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Area gamers will come together on Nov. 5, but it won’t all be fun and games. They’ll be raising money to change kids’ health, with every cent raised going to the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

For the first time in five years, Medicine Hat’s #Dominicstrong team will hold its annual Extra Life 25-hour marathon in a public venue and invites anyone who wants to come by to help them out.

“This is our 10th year doing Extra Life, and we’re doing a bigger event than usual,” says Sean Rooney, the team’s captain. “We’ll have door prizes, a silent auction, lots of games, and some special guests too.”

The 25-hour game day begins at 8 a.m. at the Medicine Hat Lodge and the public is invited from 3-7 p.m. Silent auction items from the Calgary Flames and local businesses will be up for grabs.

The team first came together for the charity event in 2013, just a month after Sean and his wife Trish’s son Dominic was diagnosed with leukemia. Tragically, the two-year-old died in 2015 during his wish trip to Orlando. He would have turned 10 this year.

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“It started as wanting to give back,” says Trish. “But now, we look at it as this is how we parent a child who’s not here anymore.”

All told, #Dominicstrong has raised more than $250,000, including $9,407 in the group’s online auction last month, for the hospital, which Sean and Trish note serves a major role in care for many people in southern Alberta.

“When you need specialized care for your kids, you go to Calgary,” says Sean. “The money we raise goes towards improving research, technology, and extra levels of care.

“We are so thankful to live in a community which comes together to support big causes like this. And we know how much Dom continues to inspire people.”

During the main event hour from 6-7 p.m. there will be speeches from local dignitaries, a viewing of a memorial video and some sure-to-be-entertaining spicy candy challenges.

For those who want to donate but can’t make it to the event, online donations are welcome at extra-life.org/team/dominicstrong. The entire game day will be live-streamed at the same link.