The Magic the Gathering community has raised tens of thousands of dollars in its latest ongoing charity fundraiser for Trans Lifeline, and you could win lots of cool prizes while also supporting an important charity.
Organised by Magic Youtube creator Tolarian Community College, through his new charity-focused branch TCGGiftsGiven, the campaign has – as of writing – raised over $53,000, smashing its starting goal of $20,000 in only a few hours.
Talking to TheGamer, Tolarian Community College said "The Magic: The Gathering community is amazing, and we come together when it counts. Trans Lifeline has touched the lives of so many in our community, and so many of our friends, so this is a cause we can get behind".
There is a constantly expanding pool of prizes and rewards for those who donate, all supplied by creators and members of the community. It includes:
- Tolarian Community College's booster boxes of Master 2015, Masters 2017, and Ultimate Masters
- Signed cards by SaffronOlive (two Panharmonicons), I Hate Your Deck co-hosts Joseph Johnson (Damn, Armageddon, and Wandering Archaic) and Michael David Lynch (The Locust God, Chulane Teller of Tales, Ezuri Renegade Leader, Syr Konrad the Grim, and Brago King Eternal), and PleasantKenobi (Borderless Sword of Fire and Ice)
- Signed, foil artist proofs of the Secret Lair My Little Pony cards Rarty and Princess Twilight Sparkle from streamer Lord Majicus
- A foil timeshifted Alesha, Who Smiles at Death (one of Magic's first canonically trans characters) and Mana Drain from CoolstuffInc writer and streamer TheMaverickGirl
- Alters and proxies from alter artist AltersAlk
- Collector's Booster boxes of Theros: Beyond Death, Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, Zendikar Rising, Commander Legends, and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt from the Command Zone host Josh Lee Kwai
- Issues two, three, and four of the incredibly old and rare MTG magazine The Duelist by Xarph
- Sleeves and a Quantum Quandrix Commander precon from community member Mishotem
- Signed copies of I Am Not A Wolf by Dan Sheehan, and a business wolf plushie.
This is the third time Tolarian Community College has pulled the community together to support Trans Lifeline. Last October's first fundraiser raised over $120,000, and in February of this year, the community managed to donate over $220,000.
Trans Lifeline is a Trans-run organisation that provides peer support for things such as legal transition, changing ID, emotional support, and crisis hotlines for transgender people in need. According to the website, its goal is to "connect trans people to the community support and resources we need to survive and thrive". Trans Lifeline also supplies 'microgrants' to trans people who need financial aid, for things such as the fees related to name changes, healthcare costs for HRT (hormone replacement therapy), and support for incarcerated trans people, both while they are incarcerated and shortly after they are released.
The fundraiser lasts until October 30 at 6PM PST through the Give Lively page. Anybody who donates at least $4, no matter where in the world they live, will be entered into the draw for the prizes.