Game day 14: Same insane goals, one less hour

It's that time of year again! Team #Dominicstrong is gearing up for 24 straight hours of gaming, questionable decisions, and generosity as we take part in Extra Life to raise money for the Alberta Children's Hospital.

This year, a dozen or so of us will gather at a friend's house on Saturday, Nov. 7, starting at 8 a.m. We'll have games, snacks, an array of ridiculous challenges, and hopefully enough caffeine to get us through the night.

For the first time ever, we're only doing 24 hours of gaming instead of 25! All our prior game days  coincided with the end of daylight saving time, meaning we got an extra hour to game (and an extra hour to regret our life choices). But Alberta abolished the time change... WAIT, WHAT ABOUT THE HOUR THAT DOESN'T EXIST TOURNAMENT?! Fear not.

Enter The Hour that Absolutely Still Exists tournament. Our participants will compete in a special mini-tournament for the coveted title belt. The tournament will still take place during the 2 a.m. hour. This time, when it's over, the clock won't roll back to 2 a.m.

Just because we're keeping things private this year doesn't mean you can't be part of it.

As we've done in previous years, we're bringing back the 20-sided dice. For every donation of $10 or more to one of our participating team members during game day, we'll roll two dice. The first determines WHO has to do something, and the second determines WHAT they have to do.

We've got a fresh collection of challenges mixed in with some returning favourites. There's the Mystery Outfit, the Cookie Face challenge, Balloon Keepy-Uppy, the Chopstick Challenge, and, of course, The Dominic. That last one requires the unfortunate recipient to communicate exclusively through squeaks and squawks for 30 minutes.

We're also bringing back some classics, including the tortilla challenge, temporary hair dye, hot sauce, makeup, and letting people draw on us. It's all in good fun, and the more you donate, the more opportunities there are to make someone regret participating!

So how can you get involved?

It's easy. Head over to our Extra Life team page, choose one of our participating team members, and make a donation. We'll take care of the dice rolling and the resulting humiliation.

We'll also be sharing pictures, videos and updates on our #Dominicstrong Facebook group, so you can follow along even if you can't be there in person.

This is our 14th annual Extra Life marathon, and what started as a way to give back to the hospital that did so much for Dominic has become an annual tradition that brings together friends and family, many of whom have been doing this alongside us for years.

We know we can't change everything for every family who finds themselves in a children's hospital. But we can help make a difference, whether that's through the big things or the little things that make a difficult experience just a bit easier.

Every dollar matters, and we're grateful for everyone who continues to support us and help keep Dominic's memory alive.

Let's make it another great game day!

Auction raises $10,944

Trish and I are proud to announce that the 2026 #Dominicstrong auction was another huge success, raising $10,944 this past weekend.

The 12th annual online auction was another success thanks to both the bidders and those who donated, of which there were many on both sides of the ledger. Including items which we sold duplicate or in some cases triplicate copies of, there were 137 purchases made ranging from $11 Lego sets to $760 for a private box at a Medicine Hat Tigers game.

All the prizes were paid for by 3 p.m. the day after the auction closed, and as of typing this we're down to a dozen items left in our house to be picked up. That's exceptional; almost as though everyone involved knows how it all works by now.

My parents were here for the weekend as has become tradition, putting names on items and sorting them as we got payments and started pickups Sunday night. It definitely wouldn't go so smoothly without them, either. 

While all the money winds up with the Alberta Children's Hospital via Extra Life's platform, I split up the donations to four different team members who helped put together the auction as a show of appreciation for all the help we had this year. Trish got $7,444, I got $2,000, Krista $1,000, and Nicole $500. Sara helped too but doesn't have a fundraising page this year as she's not going to be in town for our big marathon gaming day Nov. 7-8. Next year?

Speaking of game day, I'd previously mentioned it'll be a private house party situation this time. Last year was 10 years since Dominic's passing, and we knew it had to be a bigger event. This time, we'll still have lots of fun and offer ways to get involved in the event and raise more money, but most of it will be virtual. I'm not even sure if we'll stream the whole thing, honestly. We haven't talked about details; life has been way too much this year.

No matter what the future holds, thank you for being on the journey with us. Dominic would've turned 14 next week and I hope he'd be as happy as I remember him. Hopefully the work we've done has put some thumbs-ups into the world.

If you missed the auction and want to contribute something, visit www.extra-life.org/team/dominicstrong and pick any of our members to donate through.

Can't stop, won't stop this year's online auction

We don't know what the future holds, but this weekend we can inject some positivity into it.

For the 12th year in a row, we're holding the #Dominicstrong online auction, with every penny spent donated to the Alberta Children's Hospital via Extra Life.

Much as the kids staying at the hospital often don't know the prognosis before they get there, just that something's wrong, the days leading up to the auction are typically fraught with stress as we scramble to get all the items accounted for, valued, descriptions written and photos taken. It's a huge undertaking.

Between Trish's surgery and all the extra work I did for Special Olympics, we really leaned on our friends for this auction. Krista, Nicole, and Sara all asked for donations and were incredible. So after having 97 official items last year, we're up over 120 this time around, which is wild. Here's to hoping we'll break the $10,000 barrier again.

That's where you come in. See, there are two phases to a successful auction: donors and bidders. The donors have done their job. There's a ton of valuable items to be had.

But remember, this is a charity event! It's great if you get some smokin' deals, but every penny spent goes to the best cause possible: Children's health. So don't be shy, outbid one another! Spread the word and get more eyes on the items! Instead of upping the price by $1, maybe up it by $5. Have fun with it, but also know the outcome we're all after is making the world a better place. You getting some delicious food or a handmade blanket/art/photography session is all part of that too.

I was about to lament the fact we don't have anything with the iconic word art logo in the auction this year, but it turns out we do. Trish's mom donated a piece she won back to the auction. Thank you, Anne. We do want people to keep the items they win though, so maybe don't bid on it again this year?!

As always, bidding starts at 5 p.m. (MST) sharp on Friday, Oct. 2. It all ends at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4. Really want to win something? Set an alarm for 4 p.m. and double-check you're still the high bidder. Or maybe just throw an extra bid on for fun (😉).

We'll be taking e-transfers and offering pickup/deliveries for the winning items as soon as Sunday night, with all the money needing to be paid by Monday evening so we can announce the totals.

It's been a long week, but let's end it with a plan to do some good.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/dominicstrong to find the auction. It's both under the media section as a photo album (every photo in the album is an auction item, you bid in the comments), and links to the album are shared as the top pinned post on the page.

As always, appreciate your support.

Catching up

Hey buddy,

I've got a lot to catch you up on. It's been a tough, but rewarding, year and I haven't spent the amount of time with you I'd like.

Today's a tough one because it's the anniversary of the day you died. I'm choosing to put a happier spin on it since it's a good a day as any to do some things for you, and with you.

Your sister started Grade 4 this week. She's working on something special, but we'll let her tell everyone about it when the time is right.

Mom's been in a lot of pain this year due to a hernia, but she's got surgery next week and we're all hoping it leads to her feeling better and being able to do more.

You might remember our dog Rifle, who joined our family in 2015, just a few months before you passed. She died in October; it was another connection to you that was hard to see go.

And me? I've been busy between my day job and the volunteer job I took on with the Special Olympics national games our city just hosted. It took up all of my energy, but it was also a once in a lifetime opportunity. There were definitely some similarities to when you were in hospital; I didn't sleep much, it was a wild roller coaster, and I'm glad that I was there for it.

Somewhere in there, we helped run a gaming room and raised some money for the hospital at our public library's comic convention, plus we paired with the Medicine Hat Mavericks for another Superhero Night fundraiser.

The library event raised a couple hundred dollars ($203.25 to be exact), while the Mavs wound up with a donation of $1,195.46 between their 50/50 and selling special hats. Our community keeps us going.

Now it's Childhood Cancer Month, so we've got our big online auction coming up, then the annual 25-hour game day. Because we've been so busy, we're pushing the auction to Oct. 2-4, and game day will be Nov. 7-8. Normally we keep the auction in September, and game day to the weekend where the time change happens, but it made more sense to delay and give us time.

Miss you so much buddy. Thanks for being patient with us.

Dust off the capes! Superhero Night July 11

 

Dust off your Spandex and cape, because Superhero Night is coming!

Our annual event with Medicine Hat Mavericks baseball team is set for this Saturday, July 11 at Athletic Park.

We'll be there alongside game day sponsor EBT Chartered Professional Accountants just inside the front gate, letting people know how to get involved with Extra Life and raise money for their local Children's Miracle Network hospital (in our case, the Alberta Children's Hospital).

The Mavs will take on the Regina Red Sox and fans are encouraged to dress up as superheroes. This game is always a ton of fun and sort of serves as the kickoff to our charity work for the year.

Photo courtesy Colton McKee/
Medicine Hat Mavericks

Of course, there's always a promotional item to buy and support our efforts. Last year it was a Superman-themed jersey; this year that same design is back, but in the form of a (much less expensive) cap! The Dominicstrong thumbs up logo is smartly placed at the back side too. No word on cost but if you can't make it to the game but still want a hat, contact us and we'll order what we can while supplies last. The last time the team did hats we bought 32 of them!

Another thing I'm excited about for Saturday is the first pitch. This year's first pitch thrower is Liam, a six-year-old who's spent a lot of time at the Alberta Children's Hospital.

Here's his story as told by his mom Abbie:

"Liam is a brave 6-year-old boy living with DEPDC5-related epilepsy. Since his diagnosis, he has faced multiple admissions and long stays at Alberta Children’s Hospital including numerous this year. showing incredible strength and resilience through every challenge. Liam’s courage, bravery, and determination continue to shine, even on the hardest days."

Any illness is tough when you're young. As parents, we want to know that we're getting the best possible care. When kids in our part of the province need it, the Alberta Children's Hospital is there with the specialists needed to figure out complicated situations.

It's been a crazy year for us, from tax season to dance season and now my role as communications director for the upcoming Special Olympics Canada Summer Games (plug!). Dominic hasn't had a lot of space in our minds. But sometimes that's how it goes when you're raising a kid; other parts of life come to the forefront in waves. We've always maintained that we serve Dom's legacy by raising charity work in his name in the same way you'd raise a child, so it's OK that this year isn't as big as last. It was 10 years last year so we sort of knew this is how it would go.

What's important is we're still there for him. We're so blessed to have a community that's done the same. You always show up. We love you for it.

See you Saturday.

Inked

When we began this journey we had a feeling it was the most important thing we'd ever embark on in our lives.

We didn't expect the mark it would make on others. Literally, as it turns out.

This past weekend, four members of the #Dominicstrong team got thumbs-up tattoos as a symbol of what we've done together. Trish, James, Hannah, and Jordan etched something permanent on them reminding them not just what they've accomplished, but also that Dominic is a part of their story, too.

We had decided to do a group tattoo a couple years ago, but life happens and it kept getting delayed. At one point, we were going to have them done during the 2025 game day. Probably not the safest thing, and it just never got organized.

James finally took the bull by the horns and stepped up. Frankly, he and wife Hannah have kept the team's fundraising going all by themselves this year, doing another round of cupcakes recently. James hit the $10,000 lifetime mark via Extra Life, earning a special challenge coin. They've been with us since Day 1.

Jordan's another OG member, routinely running hockey pools, involved in every challenge and event. I could gush about all our team members, tattoos or not, but trying to keep this blog to less than a novel after not writing one in five months.

It's tax season so at our house, the motto is "all things are possible in May." Fortunately, the tattoo artist James found is down the street from the accounting firm she works for. Everybody was done quick, for a totally reasonable price, and Trish even got her Dominic "super-D and ribbon" tattoo recoloured. A quick reminder, I'm the guy who has fainting/seizure issues with blood and needles, so I'm among those who didn't get inked!

We're honoured to have such good friends, and more than that lucky to have a community that continues to support Dominic's legacy long after he's gone. Last year's totals added up to US$18,324.27 raised for the Alberta Children's Hospital, bringing #Dominicstrong's all-time total to US$283,820.41, or about CDN$389,257.63. We don't do big-money events, don't have a board of directors, and don't seek corporate sponsors to help us provide specialized services to sick kids. We're happy to raise some extra cash so that the hospital can do that. It's a lot. But we're glad to do what we can, and know that it makes a difference not just to kids in hospital, but friends who have become our family too.

Game day goes big

 

Are you ready for another crazy 25 hours of gaming, good times, and generosity? The #Dominicstrong Extra Life game day is set for Nov. 1, and for the first time in four years we're inviting the public to join us.

This being 10 years since Dominic died, we wanted to do something bigger than usual. But where? Ken, who owns SixOneSix Entertainment in downtown Medicine Hat, has long been a supporter and offered to host us at no cost. With axe throwing, pool, darts, cornhole, and VR gaming, we couldn't imagine a better spot. Trish's employer, EBT Chartered Professional Accountants, also stepped up as an event sponsor.

We'll be there (and streaming on our Facebook page) from 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 1 until 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2. SixOneSix's regular hours are 12-10 p.m., so that'll be the public portion of the event where you can join us, play some games, and help raise money for the Alberta Children's Hospital.

Whether you sit down to play a board or video game, or partake in SixOneSix's games, we'd love to see you there. You can play any of our games for free, though we do recommend donating something to the donation box or via our team page online. SixOneSix has their usual rates for their games too, of course.

Now's where it gets crazy. For every minimum $10 donation, we roll two 20-sided dice. The first roll decides who's got to participate. The second determines what they've got to do, ranging from makeup, temporary tattoos (we have special ones made up for the occasion), to memes, eating hot sauce, and so much more.

As I write this, our team has raised more than $15,000 this year for the hospital. We set our team goal at USD $20,000 to start the year, but now that Extra Life shows our progress in Canadian dollars, we've changed it to CDN $25,000. If we get there, many of our team members have pledged to get a tattoo of the thumbs-up logo.

Hope to see you there or online! Please spread the word and help us Change Kid's Health and Change the Future.

Auction 2025: Get the word out!

 

The #Dominicstrong online auction has arrived, and while it's smaller than last year, it's still got a whole lot to bid on.

We've got 96 items in the new album on the Facebook group, which is where the bidding happens in the comments of each photo. But many include duplicates or even triplicates of the same item, meaning the top two or three bidders will win. If you count those we're easily over 100 things donated as we raise even more money for the Alberta Children's Hospital and the amazing work they do for kids not just in southern Alberta, but around the world.

It's always stressful getting enough items donated, photographed, descriptions written for, and posted. But the truth is, the other important part comes now. At 5 p.m. Sept. 26 the auction opens, and the more bids before Sept. 28 at 5 p.m., the more money raised.

That means the more eyes we can get on it, the better. But we haven't done a lick of local media this year, a first in the 11 years of the auction. Not going to lie, we mainly just didn't have time. Life is busier than usual this year.

That means we need your help, badly. It's great if you'd like to do some bidding, but there are always items that only get one or two bids. That's lost opportunity for the hospital in my mind. Don't be shy, text friends who aren't on Facebook and tell them to log back in, if for only one weekend!

The hospital itself has again donated items! So have many of our long-time donors, from Antonio's Pizza to Courtyard Dental. Friends like Anna Mast and Trevor Prosser. There are literally hundreds of you who have come up with amazing items every year.

Then there's the newcomers, like Trish's employer EBT Chartered Accountants. They've got a box suite at a Tigers game, principal Hayden Beck helped us get Natalie Long's word art logo on a couple special items, and the support goes so much beyond what you'll see this weekend.

We do this all in Dominic's memory, yes, but also for all the other kids who get treated there. One cancer survivor we know had school friends write his name down for who they ran for in the Terry Fox run this week. All the money we raise goes to help anyone who uses the children's hospital so please, let's make a difference (and get yourself some goodies while you're at it)!

Reminder, please read the auction rules before participating! They're well-established, and haven't changed in a decade. Any questions, contact Trish or I!

Tick, tick, tick

I wish you could see what I see.

Pictures of you all around.

Medals, plaques, and trophies for all that we've done in your name.

Five of your stuffed animals below the clock as it tick, tick, ticks away.

Jerseys you wore, now hung on the wall.

You took us to the happiest place in the world to say goodbye, and inspired people you never met.

You gave so much more than what you were given in this life, and you've somehow kept giving.

We're so proud of you.

Ten years ago today. There's not much that hasn't changed. I look back at all the people who supported us then — I miss many of them, too. The clock ticks for all of us.

I've been re-sharing the blog posts we wrote daily this past week, knowing 10 is a big anniversary. Dominic would've been 12 going on 13, and we see the pictures of his toddler friends all going to junior high school (if they even let their parents take their pictures). It's easy to sink into what-if mode.

Instead, we can see what is: A sister who loves the brother she never met. A team preparing for a 13th annual 25-hour charity marathon. A community anteing up for yet another auction to support families who are in the thick of it now.

We're honoured to be in their company, too.

Who knows where we'll all be 10 years from now. Whether the stuffed animals will still hang out down here. If we're even still doing crazy things to raise a little more money.

You know I'd give it all up just to sit with him and listen to the clock together.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Busy season (online auction Sept. 26-28!)

 

It might be summer break for many of you, but in our house, August is busy season.

Tax season is over, school is out, and that means it's time to stop procrastinating on our charity work.

We had a huge kickstart thanks to the Medicine Hat Mavericks, whose Superhero Night went so much better than we could've imagined. See that giant cheque in the photo above this post? That $2,703 represents the 50/50 take from July 12 game plus proceeds from jersey sales. Combined with the $350 donated directly to us that night, it triples what we previously raised at Superhero Night in past years.

Next up is the Sept. 26-28 online auction, which we do have some items for already. There's a specially-framed Tim Horton Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, a few more pieces of art, and a few businesses who have committed to get us something in the next few weeks.

Do you know a person or business that might want to support kids from our area who need the best care possible and go to the Alberta Children's Hospital? We're not asking for huge things (but won't say no, either 😉): Items in this auction range in value from $10 to $1,000, with the vast majority being under $100 in value. We don't want you going out and spending $100 on something that will get a $50 bid; instead of spending now, wait and spend that money buying above the value of something in the auction! But if you've got something unopened and unused that you think would get bids, by all means, let us know. And if you get some sort of crazy deal and think it'll raise more than you paid, go for it.

We'll be out and about delivering our request letters, but if you'd like to share it, please do! Here it is as an image file, and here's the PDF.

As always, you can email donations@dominicstrong.com with any questions, or if you'd like to help out.

We take a lot of pride that our auction incurs zero expenses which take away from the amount of money donated. All the items get picked up from our home, we don't pay a third-party website, and the buyer pays extra if their item needs to be shipped. Bids are all made via comments on photos in a Facebook group album, and winners have 24 hours to submit payment. Most importantly, folks who have done the auction once know how it works next time. This will be year 11. It runs pretty smoothly.

It'll be a busy month and a half here, and then we get right in to planning for the huge, public game day where we'll be at SixOneSix Entertainment from 8 a.m. Nov. 1 until 8 a.m. Nov. 2 (with public hours from noon-10 p.m. on the Saturday). Definitely circle that on your calendar now.

All worth it for such an important cause. After all, this is how we parent a child who's no longer with us.

Superhero Night No. 7: How did it make you feel?

 

Numbers on a scoreboard aren't the only way to win when it comes to Superhero Night. The better metric, in my mind, is how it made you feel.

And oh, there were plenty of feelings Saturday night at Athletic Park.

From reunions, smiles, and yes, the odd tear, the seventh edition of this special evening with the Medicine Hat Mavericks was one to remember.

When I wrote last week's blog post we had one first pitch lined up with Reid Hintz, an incredible young man who's endured 12 major surgeries, has limited use of his hands, rides in a wheelchair, and inspires every person he's around with his attitude.

What I failed to consider was that game day sponsor EBT Chartered Professional Accountants also had a first pitch. And since Trish now works there (for the third time, as of January), they asked her and Dominic's sister Samantha to handle the honours. Let's be honest, Trish never intended to throw the ball. It was all Sam's.

Reid and Sam both did a great job, with Reid bringing out his brothers to help slingshot the ball to the catcher. Huge ovations. Who was chopping onions?

With sunny weather and a hint of a breeze, it was a perfect night. Former first pitch thrower Katelyn returned to join us, as did so many other friends. The 501st Legion Badlands Garrison sent not one, not two... but five members from as far away as Calgary and Moose Jaw to entertain the crowd as Star Wars dark side characters. They've come to so many of our events over the years they're practically family.

The Mavericks went all-out with marketing, doing a photo shoot, a full story on their website, bringing in the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association to do face painting and their own superhero characters. Chat News Today ran a preview story too. No wonder 1,603 people came out to the park, tied for the team's third-best attended game so far in 2025.

We spread the word about Extra Life and how you too can make a difference for your local children's hospital by gaming. We played some board games with friends and strangers. And of course, we cheered on the home team.

It was a close game but the Mavs lost 6-4 to Moose Jaw. But there were other numbers worth mentioning. For the first time ever, the team chose to donate the 50/50 earnings to the hospital! The jackpot was close to $2,000. Limited edition Superman-inspired jerseys (which you can still purchase, by the way 😉) cost $94.50 including tax, with $30 of that automatically donated as well. Some folks just paid $100 and said make it $35.50. Our donation box showed $350 by the end of the night on its own.

And then there were the metrics you can't really measure. Team owner Greg Morrison got to the game late because he was busy helping coach a local junior baseball team to a provincial title! Best of luck to the squad headed to Kingston, Ont. for nationals. Morrison noted that the atmosphere at Athletic Park, even though he got there in the late innings, was "electric."

So many people who don't usually come to Mavericks games came Saturday because it's a unique event and a good cause. So many of them said something along the lines of "gee, we should come here more often, this is a good time!" This team supports the community, and it shows. Superhero Night generally marks the start of our charity season, and we couldn't have asked for a better kickoff.

Big news for game day

When we put out the call for a potential first pitch thrower we also asked if anyone had a lead for our public 25-hour game day Nov. 1-2.

A lot of folks replied, but one offer stood out.

Our big charity game day will take place this year at SixOneSix Entertainment in downtown Medicine Hat! Owner Ken has long supported us, from online auction donations to game day donations when we invariably come through to throw some axes and play VR at his business. But this time we'll spend the entire game day there, with the public able to join us and raise money for the children's hospital during regular business hours.

We are so thankful for the support. Clear you schedule for Nov. 1 so you can come down! We'll have mini-tournaments, challenge stations, giveaways, and much more.

Online auction sooner than we think

Our other big event is the annual online auction. It'll run Sept. 26-28 through our Facebook page, and we've already got a handful of items donated. If you or a business you know wants to do something, please reach out via email at donations@dominicstrong.com or by messaging Trish or I. Deadline for donations is Sept. 19.

A Super night is in store July 12

 

"There is a superhero in all of us. We just need the courage to put on the cape."

- Superman

The Medicine Hat Mavericks will indeed don capes next Saturday, July 12, for the seventh edition of Superhero Night. We'll be there along with some special friends, and we hope you are, too.

A photo came across our memories feeds today. It's Dominic, in his crib at home, wearing a cape with the Superman logo on it. After spending most of the prior 18 months at the Alberta Children's Hospital with leukemia, he was marked as terminal, told on Christmas Eve he'd be lucky to live another few weeks. Yet there he was six months later, a miracle we knew wouldn't last forever.

He got to throw out the first pitch that summer at a Mavs game, but died in September during his wish trip to Florida. In 2017, the Mavs held their first Superhero Night, with jerseys showing a cape on the back.

Since then the night has become a mainstay with the club, and every time they make a donation to the hospital via our Extra Life campaign. We are honoured to be a part of it.

I'm biased, but those first jerseys were always my favourite because of the cape. And wouldn't you know it, with the new Superman movie coming out July 11, they've come up with a new design that is very Kal-El inspired. And yes, you can buy them (with proceeds going to the hospital!).

A special first pitch

The team does a great job making Superhero Night special, from the jerseys to special in-game music and themed contests, to bringing in the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association and 501st Legion (charity group that cosplays as Star Wars dark side characters). One of the things we do is arrange a local kid who's spent time at the Alberta Children's Hospital to throw out the first pitch.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Reid Hintz; a true Superman himself. Here's what Reid's mom Rebecca has to say:

“Many times over the years I have been asked why the Alberta Children’s Hospital (ACH) is important in our area. Today as we sit here at ACH for a day filled with many appointments I have reflected.

Before October 2013 I didn’t see the huge significance to it. Then our third son, Reid, was born with a condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congentia (AMC) and transferred to ACH for 5 days after being born to establish the severity of his condition.

During this time, we had a battery of tests from many departments in the hospital. The team was created by his individual need during this time so they could conference and establish his medical plan for the upcoming years. We received immediate attention where other kids born with AMC in other areas of Canada can have up to a wait for 12-18 months to receive first medical attention and confirmed diagnosis with Shriners in Montreal. When Reid was roughly a month old, he had a hernia that required immediate attention because of the previous work up the team could consult with the new specialist on factors that changed the way they did the repair without having to undergo more testing and gambling to wait until he was already under to make these decisions. At 5 months old Reid started serial casting (which means going there for a cast change and manipulation every week). This lasted 30 weeks. Since then, he has celebrated 12 orthopaedic surgeries. Reid to date had more than 1,000 appointments in the past dozen years! Could you imagine our life if it meant having to travel to Montreal for treatments?!

- Home to ACH 299 km

- Home to Montreal 3,022 km

Right from a young age Reid brought people in with his cheeky smile. He has always been filled with an “I got this” attitude no matter what he faces. His favourite hobbies are giving his mother grey hair with his off-roading wheeling and nicely timed pun or dad joke!”

Reid's family has followed the #Dominicstrong story and they've got huge hearts. One of his brothers did a fundraiser for his birthday party one year for the hospital, presenting us the money at one of our events.

It's crazy to think it's been 10 years, and we haven't done much so far this year. But don't you worry, we'll have more to announce soon! See you at Superhero Night!

Twenty thousand reasons to smile

We gamed in the garage. We gamed on couches. We even gamed outdoors in the snow.

The 12th annual Extra Life game day for team #Dominicstrong was a whole lot of fun for a great cause.

The dice roll challenges were a hit, as always. My favourite was probably when Trish and Nicole had to slap each other with tortillas until one of them spat out their mouthful of water. The photo above was from the whole group trying to blow a bubble of gum. Some were more successful than others!

We played so many games. I (Sean) managed to win the Hour That Doesn’t Exist tournament belt for the first time ever, and we were surprisingly resilient even at hour 25 the next morning.

Thanks to everyone who either participated or donated! With your help, and all of the events we did this year, we achieved our US$20,000 team goal.

One more thing: I surreptitiously added a milestone onto my donation page saying that if I met my US$4,000 goal, I’d shave my goatee. Well, Zakk made a donation today which has my total at $3,954. I’m not saying you should, but my razor is ready.

 Medicine Hat News story (thanks to Brendan)

Ready for another 25 hours

It's been quite a year for team #Dominicstrong, and now comes the main event!

Extra Life 2024 kicks off for our squad at 8 a.m. (MST) Nov. 2 at Nicole and Jordan's house - a brand new game day location but one we're excited to invade.

We're virtually guaranteed to break our US$20,000 goal for the Alberta Children's Hospital, but we need your help. Among the 2,514 teams worldwide using Extra Life to raise money for their local Children's Miracle Network hospitals, we're ranked 23rd as of writing this post. Not bad for a little crew of eight (20 or so once you include the friends and family we rope into it).

As has become our norm, we're rolling 20-sided dice for donations. See the chart here for what we'll do - we crowd-sourced this year's list on social media in hopes you're willing to pay for it if you were willing to suggest it!

Donating is simple. Head to www.extra-life.org/team/dominicstrong and pick a team member. All but James are participating in dice rolls (if you got in on the charity cupcakes last month from him and Hannah, lucky you!). Make a donation and then head to www.twitch.tv/gomerstraw to watch us live! If you miss us doing your dice roll there, we'll be posting images and videos from the dice rolls to a thread on our #Dominicstrong Facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/dominicstrong).

We'll have hot sauce, tortillas (for slapping, not eating!), hula hoops, face paint and more at the ready. We'll also have lots of games on the table, including a couple that are being developed locally.

All-time, #Dominicstrong has raised US$244,254.52 or about CDN$339,980.53 prior to this year's totals. So that means we're already above $350,000 lifetime. Definitely something to be proud of, but we're not stopping anytime soon.

Join in on the fun, it's for a good cause! Trish, Chris, and I went to the local Gas City Entertainment Expo a week ago and let people know about Extra Life. Have you started an Extra Life page after talking with us? Let us know! Getting more people involved is as important as the actual funds raised to us.

Here's to another successful marathon!