Milestone Achieved: Smithers Shares His Fundraising Journey, Inspiring Stories, and $100K Goal
In this blog, Anthony (Smithers) shares his journey, the heartfelt stories that keep him going, and his next big goal: raising $100K.
Anthony (known as Smithers), a 24-year-old streamer from St. Louis, has raised thousands for charity through his love of gaming and the TARP community.
He started fundraising with Gamers Outreach, creating special memories with his community and funding gaming karts for kids in hospitals. Get inspired by his incredible impact and learn how you can make a difference too! 💖
Smithers' Links:
Tiltify | Twitter | Twitch | Instagram | Linktree
Smithers has raised over $55,000 for charity on Tiltify in less than 1 year.
First off, tell us about yourself! What type of content do you do?
My name is Anthony, I'm a 24 year old from St. Louis. I started streaming when I was in the Army in 2021 with a lot of Call of Duty. When I started watching Twitch I fell in love with the GTA Roleplay. Found Officer Messer and decided I wanted to join his server. In his server, The Academy Roleplay(TARP) the mission is to bridge the gap between civilians and law enforcement. I have been streaming TARP for around 2 years. This community is truly built different, yes its a video game, but TARP is really a family. I have met some amazing people that will be friends for life.
What emotions did you feel when you realized you'd hit your latest Tiltify fundraising milestone?
Honestly it just made me super emotional. Its just so crazy that a community from a "video game" can really make this big of a difference. Anytime a donation comes in, I would just think of a kid smiling because they get to finally play a video game again. It really made me remember the whole reason I started streaming, to make people smile and kind of "forget" anything bad going on in their life at the moment.
Smithers' campaigns have all been for Gamers Outreach
Can you share the story behind your very first fundraising campaign?My first fundraiser was from Gamers Outreach / Ghost. I was invited to join a team of 6 people I believe it was to raise money for Gamers Outreach. I was super excited to say yes after I found out how amazing the Gamers Outreach story was.
What inspired you to start fundraising for charity?
What inspired me to start fundraising is Officer Messer. The first time I saw him do a fundraiser was for a bike event where he gives out bikes to kids/families that may not be able to afford them. That really hit close to home because I always liked riding my bike, and I still love to.
Smithers has unlocked the $50,000 lifetime fundraised badge on his Tiltify Profile
How did you overcome moments of doubt or slow progress in your campaigns?
Is there a particular donation or message from a supporter that left a lasting impact on you?
Smithers shared with his chat how much the cause meant to him
Have you collaborated with other fundraisers, streamers, or organizations? If so, what was that experience like?
How do you maintain the momentum and enthusiasm of your supporters across multiple campaigns?
I just remind myself to be myself. It is so awesome how we as a community can come together and make a huge difference in this crazy world. I always like to show a video about what exaclty the Gamer Karts are as well so people that might not be familiar can actually see what they are and how they help.
What have you learned about yourself through this journey of raising money for charity?
I have learned how lucky/blessed I really am. I am truly so lucky to have the parents I have they have been so supportive of me no matter what I do. The TARP community as well has always been there by my side no matter what is going on. I never would have imagined that me streaming would turn into helping so many people. It really is just so awesome. I just love this stuff so much. Being able to have such a great support system is really the key. I don't know where I would be without it.
Lastly, what are your future goals for fundraising? Do you have a specific target or project in mind?
My biggest goal is to never stop. My next target is 100k. I think that is more than doable within a year. I have truly fell in love with Gamers Outreach and look forward to doing the next one!!
Interview with Smithers 12/2024
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