Just about a month from now, Daigo Umehara will compete for the Street Fighter world championship at Capcom Cup. Whether he wins or not, the 39-year-old will walk away as one of the most successful gamers in history. But Umehara is more than just a skilled competitor. In keeping with a growing movement in the Fighting Game Community, he’s also a dedicated altruist.
To mark the new year, Umehara organized a charity stream that raised over $19,000 for food banks, support groups, and suicide prevention organizations. He then matched those donations with money from his own pocket, bringing the total to almost $39,000.
As with last year’s charity stream, I’ll be personally matching this donation amount. The total amount will be distributed across five orgs.
Big thanks to all who helped support this event!
— Daigo Umehara (@daigothebeast) January 6, 2021
Daigo contributed the funds from the charity event he ran recently to “Anata no ibasho” (a suicide prevention support group) 10k, Sotto (Kyoto Suicide prevention) $9800, Olive House (a support group for mothers & kids) $9600, Fukuoka Food bank $5500, & Matsuyama Kids food bank. https://t.co/3OlDsXWNdu
— FuguTabetai (@DocFugu) January 9, 2021
And Umehara isn’t the only member of the FGC who’s making a big difference early in 2021. After a far-right mob invaded the US Capitol earlier this month, r/StreetFighter’s Online Local devoted its weekly tournament to Black Lives Matter. As of this writing, the event has raised nearly $4,000, although that number could easily go up, as donations are still open at its official Matcherino page.
200 away from 2k before the tournament even starts.https://t.co/GU3vNdXUqV
You are incredible. pic.twitter.com/iFcRjN3rrh
— The Online Local aka r/StreetFighter (@TheOnlineLocal) January 11, 2021
As the FGC continues to grow, we should expect to see more of these efforts from its leaders. To keep up with Umehara, follow him on Twitter, Twitch, and Mildom. For more from The Online Local, follow their Twitter and Twitch pages. And if you know about any other charitable efforts that should be brought to the community’s attention, be sure to let us know via our Twitter or contact page.
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