What is Extra Life?
Extra Life is a way to raise funds for MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital (MHBBCH) by playing games! Extra Life is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN) program, and unites thousands of gamers around the world to play games and help kids at local CMN Hospitals. MHBBCH is your local CMN Hospital. You can Extra Life for MHBBCH by playing board games, video games, outdoor games, or whatever you like to play. Play on your own schedule (any day or time), and/or participate in an Extra Life event.
It's easy to get started:
- Register
- Commit to playing games to help kids at MHBBCH
- Ask your friends and family to support your fundraising efforts
Extra Lifers are heroes
MHBBCH sees more than 100,000 patients each year. No child is turned away, regardless of their family’s ability to pay. Your gaming makes a difference. Funds raised through Extra Life support equipment, programs, research and care. Check out these examples of what community donations—like those raised by Extra Lifers—have made possible at MHBBCH:
- MRI’s can be loud, feel a bit claustrophobic, and last an hour or more. Donations were used to purchase two MRI Entertainment Systems at MHBBCH, demonstrated by our friend Brayden, to make the MRI experience more comfortable!
- When a typical cold became life-threatening for Emily, she needed a higher level of care provided by the MHBBCH pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). MHBBCH opened our new, state-of-the-art PICU in 2016, and much of the funding came from generous community donations.
- Evan’s story will introduce you to therapeutic hypothermia (TH). MHBBCH purchased innovative therapeutic hypothermia equipment thanks to community donations.
- J.J. spent the first 6 months of his life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and is featured in not one but two MHBBCH videos! Community donations support BBCH NICU participation in cutting-edge research through the Vermont Oxford Network—helping to improve neonatal care in Maine and around the world.
Register now
Sign up at Extra-Life.org, and in just a few minutes you’ll have your own personalized Extra Life page ready to share. Don’t forget to choose to play in support of MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital! 100% of the funds you raise will stay local and help kids cared for at MHBBCH.
Get your business involved
You can participate in Extra Life as an individual, but it’s also a great way to engage your team at work:
- Recruit and Promote: Host an Extra Life recruitment event or share information about Extra Life with your employees and customers.
- Play: Form a company Extra Life team. You might play some virtual trivia, offer a monthly board game afternoon in the break room, host a customer BBQ with lawn games, or include employees who game in their free time.
- Sponsor: Become a business sponsor of the Extra Life program at MHBBCH. Contact Meaghan for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anything! Board games, video games, card games, lawn games, trivia, party games … any and all of the above. Play in-person or online using Zoom or a gaming platform.
100% of the funds raised by the awesome Extra Lifers who game for MHBBCH stay local and directly benefit MHBBCH. Since 2012, Extra Life players have raised over $600,000!
In addition, a dozen Extra Lifers have each personally raised more than $10,000 each for MHBBCH! Check out our MHBBCH Extra Life Wall of Fame!
Sure do! Our Extra Lifers are so good at putting the “FUN” in fundraising.
- Check out this blog post for best practices and creative ideas.
- Find the answers to even more FAQs here.
Extra Life Questions?
Contact Meaghan McNamara, MHBBCH Philanthropy Specialist, Extra Life
Join the MHBBCH Extra Life community on Twitter/X, Facebook or Discord to learn about donations in action, read patient stories and stay up-to-date on local Extra Life events.