Zach’s Got Game Z


by Jeff Samoray Sophomore leverages gamers’ passion for greater good


ach Wigal has proven that video games aren’t just about strong thumb muscles and fl at-screen fantasy—they also have the potential to help humanity. Since launching the Gamers Outreach Foundation in 2008,


Wigal has helped raise more than $37,000 for projects as diverse as portable video game kiosks and baby blankets for a local children’s hospital to tsunami relief eff orts in Japan. In the process, Wigal has emerged as a buster of the geeky gamer


stereotype and a leading visionary for the gaming industry’s charitable arm. He’s a sought-aſt er speaker who has participated in panel discussions at major industry conventions. He’s also been invited by companies like Red Bull Gaming to consult on their video game initiatives. In other fi elds, it might take an entrepreneur decades to build this type of clout. Yet, Wigal is just 21 and entering his sophomore year at Eastern.


12 Eastern | FALL 2011 Photographs by Scott Stewart


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