UC Irvine joins the fight for charity through Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament

Who says fighting during the holidays is always bad?

UC Irvine held a benefit Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament at its e-sports arena Tuesday night for Giving Tuesday, a global event that began in 2012 and focuses on charity on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.

Tuesday’s tournament was held in collaboration with GameChanger Charity and Amazon Web Services. The latter pledged a donation of $250,000 to GameChanger Charity, which assists hospitalized children and their families.

“For over a decade, GameChanger has embraced the power of play to help young people and their families and caregivers overcome the most difficult situations,” GameChanger Charity Chief Executive Jim Carol said in a statement. “We’re incredibly grateful to our friends at Amazon Web Services and UCI for continuing to demonstrate how the kindness of strangers can bring hope and joy to so many in their darkest hours.”

The tournament featured gamers from across Southern California and included students from the university.

It was streamed online through Twitch, and viewers could donate to the charity from home.

“We are thrilled to participate in our first Giving Tuesday event to support GameChanger as they use games and technology to ease the pain and suffering of children facing life-threatening illnesses,” said Mark Deppe, director of UCI Esports. “Both UCI and GameChanger are leaders in the domains of gaming and cancer treatment, so we are natural partners.”

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