Happy fall, y’all! Our new fundraising season is underway and we have two big events coming up, along with a new crop of must-have prizes. Read on to get caught up.
Plus, meet a Breakthrough T1D Play advisor who’s been a staple of the Magic: The Gathering community for almost as long as he’s had T1D.
Game Over, T1D! Returns in November
In past years, our Game Over, T1D! streaming fundraiser was in August. This year we’ve bumped it to November to coincide with National Diabetes Awareness Month (NDAM).
Register on Tiltify by this Friday and we’ll mail you a pre-stream toolkit with supplies to make your Game Over, T1D! charity streams even more fun. Here’s how:
- Publish your campaign by October 3 at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET.
- DM Monique on our Discord server or email Play@BreakthroughT1D.org to request the pre-stream toolkit.
And don’t forget the goodies! This is our first big community event since we revealed our shiny new fundraising prizes, including fuzzy socks (so comfy!), an adorable Rufus tote bag (so useful!), and an awesome set of gemstone dice (so powerful!).
Check them out on our Game Over, T1D! page:
Magic: The Gathering Players Compete in Vintage vs. Type 1
Starting this Wednesday, content creators across the Magic: The Gathering community will compete in a Vintage Cube trophy race while raising funds and awareness for type 1 diabetes research.
The race heats up on Saturday and Sunday, when longtime Magic luminary Brian David-Marshall will drop in on the drafts during an all-day stream relay on twitch.tv/magiconline.
Donation incentives include MGTO tokens for Vintage Cube drafts and unique avatars, a limited edition Vintage vs. Type 1 playmat, and rare Magic items to be auctioned off. Visit our website for details:
Introducing Barbie with Type 1 Diabetes
This summer, Mattel released a new Barbie® doll, and she’s one of us! Mattel worked closely with Breakthrough T1D and type 1 diabetes community members to create a Barbie with accessories true to the experiences of people who live with type 1.
Her outfit is blue with polka dots—both the color blue and circle print are a nod to the global symbols that represent diabetes awareness. How cool is that?!
The Barbie doll with T1D is available from major retailers. If you raise $1,000 or more in our Game Over, T1D! fundraiser, we’ll send you one as a thank you.
Check Us Out on YouTube
Breakthrough T1D Play (formerly JDRF Game2Give) got its start on Twitch, but this summer we’ve branched out to that other video site, YouTube.
We’re gradually adding videos from our 5+ year archive of streaming content, starting with some of our favorite T1D Tuesdays. Please like and subscribe! (Sorry, had to say it.)
Advisor Spotlight: Brian David-Marshall
If you’re into Magic: The Gathering, you might have heard of Brian David-Mashall, also known as BDM. He’s been playing since 1994 and was heavily involved in building the Magic community through events and content. He has also designed multiple board and card games, has written comics for Marvel and other publications, and serves on Breakthrough T1D Play’s Advisory Council.
When Brian was diagnosed in his twenties, he already had some experience with T1D through his brother, Michael. Sadly, Michael’s earlier diagnosis meant he lacked access to the management tools we have now, and he passed away from complications a few years ago. Brian now fundraises in Michael’s honor by organizing Vintage vs. Type 1, an event that brings top Magic players together to draft Vintage Cubes in support of Breakthrough T1D.
“I was diagnosed with diabetes even before I started playing Magic, back in the early ’90s,” Brian explains. “Back then, the format we played was simply known as Magic. A couple of years later, when Type 2 (now known as Standard) was announced, the most encompassing format was retronymed to Type 1 (now known as Vintage).”
Magic and type 1 diabetes have been intertwined in Brian’s life ever since. When he qualified for his first competition, he had to think about how a blood sugar event would affect his ability to compete at his highest level. Today, he credits the advent of CGMs “speaking” to insulin pumps for keeping his blood sugar level on an even keel and getting his A1C to the lowest point in his diabetic journey.
“Therapeutic advances made thanks to the work of Breakthrough T1D have completely transformed my life, and I have no doubt they will be at the forefront of eradicating this disease in my lifetime,” Brian says. “I can’t think of any better way to raise awareness and money to support them than this event, which features a format encompassing more than thirty years of Magic history.”
Hear more from Brian in his own words in this article on the Magic Online website and tomorrow at 1pm PT / 4pm ET, when he joins us on our Twitch channel for T1D Tuesday.
Keep In Touch
Have questions about streaming in an upcoming event? Want to geek out over the new T1D Barbie? We’d love to hear from you on Discord, Twitter/X, Instagram, and Bluesky, or by email at Play@BreakthroughT1D.org.
