Gamers making a difference

By Dacotah Erwin

Gamers from Windsor will be gathering at the annual Christmas Local Area Network event hosted by the St. Clair Information Technology Club to raise funds for the Downtown Mission this December.

Featured at the Christmas LAN will be two Smash Bros. tournaments as well as any other game the participants want to play. The idea behind LAN is to bring the community together so gamers can play side by side, making new connections with one another.

It’s a different experience than a majority of people are used to.

The LAN takes place on Dec. 16 and 17. While the purpose is to bring community members from Windsor together to do what they love, it will also help the Downtown Mission. The entrance fee is $5 or four canned goods. All the proceeds raised will be donated to the Mission.

People attend LANs for many reasons.

“It’s a great way to play with and meet others. It’s exciting in a tournament setting even if you’re not the greatest at the game,” said Peter Chahin, 22. “It is good practice and it’s a great way to learn some tips and tricks and get better.”

Jacob Morneau, a 23-year-old robotics student, said the atmosphere was very exciting and everyone was friendly and welcoming last year.

“It’s a way to spend time with my friends and compete,” says Morneau.

LANs are becoming more popular as time goes on and the annual Christmas LAN is the third major event the St. Clair IT Club is hosting this year. The event already has 90 confirmed participants with more who are interested. Those interested in the event are encouraged to look up XMAS LAN 2016 on Facebook or the XMAS LAN tournament on Smash.gg.