GCX? St. Jude? Gaming does good?
That’s right, this is not going to be my typical blog posts about wedding photography. This time I want to take some time and talk about something that I believe, is one of the best causes in the world to date. But to do that, you need some backstory.
It’s no secret that I love video games. I have ever since I first picked up my grandparents ATARI 2600 to play Combat when I was about 5 years old. Fast forward to 2014 and I became obsessed with Bungie‘s new game, Destiny. While playing it one day on my Xbox One, a fried of mine reached out a said, “Hey, check out this app called Twitch, I’m watching someone play Destiny right now”.
My response, “What the hell is Twitch?”
For those who may not know, Twitch is a live streaming platform owned by Amazon, and is primarily focused on gaming but also widely used for a variety of content such as music, art, talk shows, and even real-life activities.
This isn’t about “having a wedding.”
It’s about living the hell out of it.
You’re not getting married to check a box. It’s a day full of meaning, chaos, and connection that deserves to be experienced.
You don’t need proof you got married. You want proof that it mattered!
From that very moment, streaming on Twitch became a passion of mine. It got a hold of me hook, line, and sinker. It’s where I could go to hang out with friends, meet new people, and watch amazing fellow gamers play the games I was. This is where I met incredible people such as kmagic101, Professorbroman, King Gothalion, Darkness429, DrLupo, and so many others.
It was during my streaming days, that I was fortunate enough to be apart of the GCX charity marathon to help raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This held a really special place in my heart because when my youngest daughter was only a few weeks old, she had contracted RSV.
RSV is raspatory virus, and for babies under 6 months old, and it can be deadly. For just over a week my wife and I were bedside with her in the hospital watching her hooked up to all these machines that were helping her breathe. It’s was the most helpless I have ever felt in my life as a parent. And even though It can’t ever compare to a child with Cancer and what those families go through, it was enough to make me realize that I needed to do anything I could to help children in need. And for me, that is supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
As years went on, I developed a passion for photography which meant slowly stepping away from streaming, but I still remained rooted in those communities I had become a part of and always supporting their efforts to raise money for St. Jude.
This past year, I had the pleasure and honor of being able to bring my photography to this cause. I was able to document amazing moments at GCX in Orlando FL hosted at Universal Orlando Resort. Being able to document everyone coming together as a community for such an amazing cause, seeing the joy on everyone’s faces who got to either meet their favorite content creator or see friends for the first time who might have only a name on a chat screen at one point was really heart warming.
From table top tavern where a Magic The Gathering tournament was held, to panels where you could catch you favorite podcast, learn from workshops, or watch a live Dungeon and Dragons campaign, there was certainly no shortage of activities to do over the two day event.
You could stroll down artist alley to take in all the amazing works created by community artists, buying sweet merch from vendors such as Lab77, or attend a community meetup.
If you wanted to get some gaming in, you were able to head on over to the Retro Arcade and do just that! There was a variety of arcade machines to choose from.
Then there was watching the Bungie Foundation sponsored Destiny 3v3 PVP tournament. Bungie has been a strong supporter of GCX and its awesome to see a company of that statue take pride in supporting this community on its journey.
To celebrate, if you bought an after party event ticket, you could attend the GCX After party at Universal Orlando Islands of Adventure! What an incredible way to close out an amazing weekend. One of the coolest things was being able to document a surprise birthday party for a child cancer survivor from St. Jude! LETS GOO!!
GCX has become a beacon of what is possible when a strong community of gamers and like minded individuals come together and show that Gaming Does Good. I was able to catch up with the Executive Producer of GCX, Kevin Murry, and ask him some questions about GCX. The future for GCX, St. Jude, and the community is looking amazing!
What is GCX?
GCX is a community gathering for content creators and their fans. What began as a small gathering of 1,000 people in a bar has blossomed into an annual event, now held at Universal Orlando Resort. GCX has become a staple event for many, and we’re proud to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through various year-round fundraising efforts within our community.
How did GCX come to be?
GCX began in 2015 when KingGothalion and ProfessorBroman decided to organize a “meet-up” for the Destiny community on Twitch and YouTube. With just three weeks’ notice, the event drew 1,000 people from around the world to a bar in Tampa, FL.
Why pick St.Jude? There are a lot of great charities out there, so what made St.Jude the choice?
Our Charity Lead, Ben Bowman (ProfessorBroman), was deeply involved in charitable fundraising on Twitch during its early days. At that time, St. Jude was an underrepresented nonprofit in the content creation space. This led to the community raising over $560,000 in our first year, laying the foundation for our ongoing partnership with St. Jude.
How much has GCX raised to date?
The GCX community has raised over $33 million for the children of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
What is the mission statement for GCX and St.Jude?
We stand with St Jude in their mission to make sure that no child dies in the dawn of life.
Where do you see GCX going in the next 2-5 years?
We are extremely pleased with the partnership we have forged with Universal Orlando Resort. We look forward to working with them for many years to come and continuing to bring creator communities together for an unforgettable annual vacation.
Tell me about the GCX/BAC wing at St.Jude?
The 3rd Floor of the Domino’s Village patient housing facility at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital will honor all donors who have contributed to funds raised during GCX and Build Against Cancer events. It’s surreal to know that the legacy of this community’s good work will endure for many years to come.
What is BAC?
Build Against Cancer is DrLupo‘s annual winter fundraiser. He brings together a group of creators for a 24-hour livestream at the St. Jude campus in Memphis. The community fundraised for the event this past December, in which it raised $1,099,095.68!! To learn more about BAC, donate, or even host your own event to help raise money for BAC, visit https://bac.experience.stjude.org.
GCX 2025 will be held once again at Universal Orlando Resort from July 25th to July 26th. You can get your tickets right now! If you would like to learn more about GCX, please visit https://gcxevent.com. Make sure to follow them on all their social media TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, FaceBook, and join their Discord.
ladman studios
TJ Ladzinski is a Connecticut-based wedding photographer known for blending cinematic artistry with genuine, unscripted moments. His approach strikes the perfect balance between candid and intentional creativity, resulting in photos that feel authentic yet elevated.
Recognized in top wedding publications for his craft, TJ is dedicated to capturing the heart of each couple’s story. With an laid-back and playful energy, he ensures the experience is as seamless and enjoyable as the photos themselves.
