• This was our fourth event, and the first time we raised over $3,000.  Our total so far stands at $4,027 – a new Nick’s Marathon record!
• We had a pretty lively chat going online while we played, including one guy who said he was watching from Australia!
• This was our first NM debuting a new system, and despite a few hiccups with using a brand new console, (almost) everything went off without a hitch!
• James’ homemade arcade machine also made its NM debut.  Nick LOVED the machine, and was known to “run” many games (i.e. beat every challenger) whenever he played.
• We beat New Super Mario Bros. U on Saturday, and the team was THISCLOSE to beating it a second time on Sunday… before a “Mehlfunction” brought the game to a screeching halt.
• A partial listing of some of the healthy and nutritious food that was consumed: Chinese food, pizza, Atomic Wings, McDonald’s, M&M’s (plain and peanut), chips, pretzels, Chex Mix, PopTarts, and a hefty supply of Mario gummies.
• Our first raffle was a success; our winner is a Child’s Play supporter from Massachusetts who was very excited to have won a brand new WiiU!

All in all, it was a great event, and all of us at Nick’s Marathon want to thank everyone who donated, bought raffle tickets, told their friends about us, came to our bar night, played games with us, and helped us out in a myriad of other ways.

I’d like to also thank our amazing Board of Directors.  Making this year’s event happen was a huge undertaking, and I appreciate all of your hard work and dedication to pulling it off.

This was our biggest Nick’s Marathon ever, and we hope to keep growing every year from here on out.

People cope with death in different ways.  There are the standard five stages of grief, but what happens after acceptance?  The pain of losing a loved one doesn’t simply dissipate just because you accept that they’re gone.

After Nick died, I found myself struggling to come to terms with it all.  Watching him suffer and pass away – while I was unable to do anything to help – deeply affected me.  That feeling of uselessness ate at me, and I felt like I had to do SOMETHING.

But what could I do?

When I think of Nick, there are a few things that immediately come to mind.  First and formeost was his kindness.  Nick was generous to a fault, and he would always be there to help out a friend in need.  Then there was his passion for video-games.  He loved playing games whenever he could, but he mostly loved playing with his friends.  And we didn’t have to be gaming; Nick always just enjoyed hanging out.  Our little circle, friends since in high school, has spread out over the years, but Nick was always trying to get us all together.

All of those things combine to make a video-game marathon the perfect tribute to Nick.  It was James who first came up with the idea, and I immediately thought it was perfect.  What better way could we honor our friend?

Nick’s Marathon was truly *inspired* by Nick, in every sense of the word.  It is meant to celebrate Nick’s spirit in a way that is thoughtful, meaningful, and – at its very core – fun.

It’s something Nick would be proud of.

And that’s why we do it.

This Friday we’ll hold our very first Kick-Off party at Slainte Pub in NYC.

On Sunday, our Wii U consoles – yes, both of them! – will arrive in stores.

And next Friday, on November 23d, we’ll begin our Fourth Annual Nick’s Marathon weekend!

Thank you all for your support so far, and stay tuned – it’s going to be a very exciting November!

We here at Nick’s Marathon are going to give away a brand new Wii U console to one lucky donor this year!   It’s simple – you make a $10 donation, and you are entered into the raffle.  As we wrap up the Nick’s Marathon on Sunday, November 25th, we’ll announce the winner.  If you win, you get a new, DELUXE SET of the Wii U console, sure to be this holiday’s season must-have gift!  Want to increase your chances?  Buy more raffle tickets!  And remember – 100% of the proceeds from this raffle go directly to Nick’s Marathon and Child’s Play charity!

For more details on the contest and the official rules, please click here!

Check out our official invite, and pass it on to your friends!

Hope to see everyone there!

Details:
Slainte Pub, New York City (304 Bowery - click here for a map and nearby subway stops)
Friday, November 16th 2012, 7-11 pm
$20 donation at the door gets you 2-for-1 drink specials

While we play, we’ll be raising money for Child’s Play, a wonderful charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in their network of over 70 hospitals worldwide.

You can donate now, or donate while we’re playing.

Keep coming back to this page for more information as we get closer to the event!

More details coming soon – stay tuned!

We played some great video games, like Donkey Kong Country Returns and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.  We also played some downright bad games (Dirty Harry and International Cricket, I’m looking at you.) But the important thing is that we had fun with great friends.

And of course, we raised a lot of money in the process!  The final number is still being determined – and if you haven’t donated yet, there is still time – click here right now!  But we did clear $2,000, which is not too shabby!  And we want to thank everyone who supported us and donated to our cause, and helped us keep the memory of a great friend alive.

P.S. For those of you who have tote bags coming your way – don’t worry, we’ll send them out to you as soon as we get them in.  Thanks for your generosity!

See y’all next year!