People of all ages came together for a night of gaming, light refreshments, and raffles at Gaming For Change on Saturday, May 16. It was held at Affinity Esports’ office in Sandy Hook.

The event was organized by Jack Liberta, a Head O'Meadow Elementary School fourth grader and member of its School Community Team program. The team works all year on a community-based project that benefits Newtown and its residents in some way.

For Jack, who is an avid fan of video games, it did not take long for him to come up with the perfect idea: have a night where people could game together and raise money for a good cause.

Jack specifically wanted to raise money for Tommy's Place, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that owns and operates two year-round magical vacation homes for kids fighting cancer. Families get to enjoy a week-long vacation, with all expenses paid for, at homes located in Falmouth and Centerville in Cape Cod.

Tommy's Place is a particularly important nonprofit to Jack because his friend, Kaia Lauro, visited there before she passed away in 2023.

Jack took out a piece of scrapbook paper and got to work. He wrote, "The Big Plan!" in large, capitalized letters at the top of the page. Beneath that was a list of ideas for the event, with plans for food, advertising, raffles, and more.

He even drew a sketch of a jersey that read "Gaming For Change," with a game controller in between the words.

Come the big day, Jack's notes turned into a reality. Attendees could buy a bright light blue Gaming For Change jersey that Jack designed himself. They could also buy raffle tickets that included prizes such as a gaming birthday and free bagels for a year.

Beyond that, people of all ages were free to relax, play video games, and socialize over pizza, chips, and soda.

Jack's parents, Laura and Steve Liberta, supported him from frame one. Laura brought his big plan sheet to the event, tucked away inside a manila folder.

"Sometimes I think people think I'm kidding when I say [Jack] came up with the plan, and I'm like, 'but he did.' He may be shy to speak about it, but he did come up with it. He stayed up till 11 o'clock at night, making the plan all by himself," Laura explained.

Laura said she still remembers finding Jack in his room with the lights on; Jack clarified he did not stay up until 11 pm, but actually 10:30 pm, which got a laugh from his parents.

They knew Jack needed to do something for the School Community Team, and felt like blending his interest in gaming with something important to him was a great idea.

"Gaming is something he loves, so whether I love it all the time or not, it's what he loves," Laura said. "It's something he enjoys doing, so for him to be able to take that and say, 'I'm going to do something, use that, and give back to charity while doing it,' is pretty cool."

Laura said Jack wants to hold a similar event next year and make Gaming For Change an annual thing. If it is not this, Laura wants it to be something else, something Jack will be able to put time and energy into that will benefit others.

On Thursday, May 21, Affinity Esports owner Mark Kilpratrick said they raised a net total of $1,145.66 for Tommy's Place through online registrations, cash sales, jersey sales, and direct contributions. He added that they still have jerseys open for purchase on Affinity Esports' website, with $14 from every jersey sale supporting Tommy's Place.

Towards Affinity Esports' entrance space was a table featuring informational pamphlets on Tommy's Place. There were also several lavender bracelets with the words "Be Brave" on them, along with a photograph of Kaia.

Kaia's parents, Brian and Heather Lauro, showed up to the event. Brian even sported his own Gaming for Change jersey; on the back was his daughter's name, Kaia Lauro.

"We're very proud of you," Brian said as he gave Jack a hug. "You made the coolest jersey ever."

Brian and Heather said it meant a lot to see people support and raise awareness of Tommy's Place. Brian called the nonprofit amazing, likening it to a mini Disney World.

"It really is a special place," Brian said. "To have a space where they could bring the whole family and spend a week without worrying about everything ... it's great. You can just be yourself."

Despite their circumstances, Heather said they got to have "one of the best vacations ever" there.

Brian hopes people continue to support and raise awareness for smaller organizations such as Tommy's Place.

"Every dime means a lot to places like Tommy's Place," Brian said. "It goes a long way, more than I think most people know."

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.