Connect2Fight is a livestream and gaming platform, which is looking to make new connections with broadcasters and content creators for charity livestreams. A great example of this was how we celebrated Rare Disease month in February. We hosted a series of CTF Plays Among Us charity livestream events that brought the NF community together with our President, Annette Bakker, CTF celebrity champions, content creators, and our totally sussy NF Heroes. The events collectively raised over $12,000 for NF research and unlimited amounts of awareness for neurofibromatosis and rare diseases as a result of 1,500 views between YouTube and our newly growing Twitch channel!
Thirty-eight NF Heroes, 4 celebrity special guests, 2 Twitch live streamers, and 1 Foundation President attempted to hold their spaceship together and return to civilization during 7 different events throughout the month. The hunt for the Imposter began with our February 1st kick starter event and ended on Rare Disease Day, February 28th with two action packed CTF Plays Among Us livestreams. Watch to see all of the sus activity between actor, producer, fierce NF advocate, and CTF champion Jonathan Sadowski, our CTF up-for-anything, UNwavering leader Annette Bakker and 8 NF Heroes: Lilly Ann Brooks (NF1, National Ambassador, FL), Aidan Fraser (NF1, NY), Sarah Sappington (NF2, MO), Connor Brennan (NF1, MO), Alex Owens (NF1, CT), Chloe Rubert (NF1, PA), and Aiden and Michelle Velasquez (NF1, NJ) in the February 1st event here on YouTube. Or peruse one of the other six, equally entertaining events on our Twitch Channel.
On February 22, 2021, the Connect2Fight Team, Julie P. Nasissi, Connie Sorman, Dan McAvoy, and Aidan Fraser, livestreamed to share the goals of the program and details of the remaining events schedule. Later that evening, we were joined by NFL Player Nick Folk, the New England Patriots’ Kicker, guest stream host and NF1 Hero, Hayden Lynch, and crewmates/NF Heroes: Shonda Warren (NF1, VA), Finn & Kellan O'Leary (NF1, WA), Nathan Butcher (NF1, WA), Jessica Contreras (NF2, CA), and Blake Robinson (Nick’s cousin, NF1, CA). As though the interMISSION moments during this feel-good stream weren’t enough reason to check it out, the total fundraising for this event alone came in at over $3100!
Additionally, there were two adventures on February 25th starting with CTF champion, Raina Seitel an Emmy-winning TV Host and NBC Correspondent, guest host, Twitch Streamer HopFanatik (aka Andrew Steele, who also happens to be Dad to a young NF1 Hero), and the crew of NF Heroes: Westin Cuka (NF1, SD), Emily Baron (NF1, MI), Ryan Calhoun (NF1, CT), Parker Bell (NF1, TX), Noah Herniman (NF1, WALES), and Nicky Picarello ( NF1, NY). In the evening, Twitch Streamer Looney2unes was our guest host who led the spaceship shenanigans for would-be imposters: Tyron Flitton (NF1, UT), Connor O'Brien (NF2, TX), Marie Labedz (NF1, NE), Kayla Battle (NF1, Loony2unes Friend), Philip Moss (NF1, AL), Yaniry Lora ( NF1, NY), and Clover Moreno (NF1, MO).
Lastly, on February 28th, Rare Disease Day, we rounded out the month with an afternoon event featuring our good friend and supporter, James Snyder the Broadway actor playing Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as well as an evening with our CTF Junior Board members! James kept our NF Heroes entertained casting spells while the crewmates attempted to complete tasks amidst the shape-shifting imposters. We had a blast with El Evans (NF1, NY), Caiden Karabel (NF1, CO), Hudson Eastman (NF1, MI), Emery Gibson (NF1, BC), Eli Duby (NF2, KS), Hannah Parker (NF1, UT), and Nolan Steele (NF1, WA). And later that day, the Junior Board members, Kevin Martin (guest host, NF1, NY), Madison Sassa, (NF1, PA), Dan McAvoy (NF1 NY), John Schafer (NF1, NE), Jessica Schafer (John’s sister, NE), Camile Thoms (NF2, WA), Aaron Wickersham (NF1, SC), Joe Jaffa (NF1, CA) and Sarah Rodbell (NF1, 2017 National Ambassador, NY) laughed and bonded to conclude our Rare Disease Month events schedule.
Sometimes we revealed the Imposters, sometimes the Imposters succeeded in taking over the ship, but one thing that was consistent for all of the February events was the success we had in making connections! At the Children’s Tumor Foundation, we want to end NF as fast as we can by connecting the unconnected and to do that we are:
CONNECTING communities for support, awareness, and hope
CONNECTING patients to quality healthcare, clinical trials, and research partners.
CONNECTING researchers together for collaboration.
CONNECTING funds to the mission: driving research, expanding knowledge, and advancing care for the NF community
Rare Disease Month was the perfect opportunity to do this, because living with tumors is not all fun and games and the more money and awareness we raise, the faster we will be able to End NF! If you’d like to join a future CTF Hosted event click here. To host your own charity livestream whenever it’s convenient for you on StreamlabsCharity.com, click here.
However you decide to Connect2Fight, every dollar raised will give NF patients and families hope for a future that includes a cure for NF.
You can contact the Connect2Fight team at livestream@ctf.org or visit our website at: www.ctf.org/connect2fight.
