Ex-Cat Devin Booker using video games to raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts
Former University of Kentucky basketball star and current Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker is raising money for COVID-19 relief through video games.
Booker on Thursday night took to Twitch, a popular streaming service for video games, to start a charity drive in support of Arizona non-profits serving populations impacted by the pandemic. He donated $100,000 of his own funds to start things off, an amount that was matched by Phoenix Suns Charities.
“With countless people around the globe turning to streaming to get their mind off things, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to bring people together, raise awareness and help those in need at the same time,” Booker said in a news release. “These are trying times that transcend basketball and I would like to call on everyone to be good teammates as we deal with this challenge together.”
During the stream — which kicked off with a round of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” — Booker said the drive would end April 1. Viewers who donate are also eligible for rewards, such as signed basketballs, jerseys and the opportunity to play a game with Booker on the stream.
Karl-Anthony Towns, the Minnesota Timberwolves star who played with Booker at UK, and Los Angeles Lakers player Kyle Kuzma played with Booker during the initial broadcast.
The players lamented the pandemic during the stream.
“I live in an office,” said Booker, who joked about Kuzma and Towns having an open invite to his home if they tested negative for COVID-19. “All I do is play video games.”
Booker’s goal is to raise at least an additional $100,000 through streaming.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 10:18 PM with the headline "Ex-Cat Devin Booker using video games to raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts."
