Yesterday, we reported that Twitch streamer Kyle Bosman kicked off a 12-Hour "Tetrisathon" to raise money for Girls Who Code. Now, it's come to an end and has raised a total of $14,266.24 for the charity, surpassing its initial goal of $10,000.
Throughout the 12 hours, Bosman accumulated 894 Tetrises (the name for clearing four lines at once), all while playing through several different iterations of the game. Bosman started the fundraiser by playing one of the most recent releases, Tetris 99, and ended with the original from 1988. 13,322 viewers tuned in to take a look at the Tetris action, raising the huge sum of money for the charity.
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Girls Who Code is a charity that aims to get more women working in tech, following the significant drop off in recent years. The group accomplishes this by teaching girls about these careers while they're still young, which is done through both school visits and summer camps. This gives girls the skills needed for entry-level work in the field, as well as contacts they can call upon once they have left school.
The charity's mission statement from its website is as follows:
"In 1995, 37% of computer scientists were women. Today, it’s only 24%. The percent will continue to decline if we do nothing. We know that the biggest drop off of girls in computer science is between the ages of 13 and 17.We're reaching girls around the world and are on track to close the gender gap in new entry-level tech jobs by 2030."
This isn't the only successful charity event from the gaming industry in recent months. In June, the "Indie bundle for Palestinian Aid" on itch.io raised a staggering $899,778, absolutely smashing its original goal of $500,000. The bundle included 1000 games, which could be purchased for as little as $5, causing the fundraiser to quickly go viral.
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