It’s going to be a busy July for the Moose Jaw Gamer’s Association (MJGA), as the organization will be showcasing cosplayers from across the province and hosting its annual summer gaming expo.
The association — which recently became a registered not-for-profit charity — has started looking for participants for its inaugural Cosplay Alley, which takes place on Saturday, July 6 during Moose Jaw’s Sidewalk Days.
MJGA will then host its Gamer’s Expo (GAX) a week later, from Friday July 12 to Sunday, July 14. This is Saskatchewan’s longest running gaming expo — it started in 2010 — and features LAN gaming, popular and obscure board and card games, role playing games run by veteran gamemasters, e-sports, and classic and modern console games on projection screens.
All proceeds raised are used to support community initiatives.
Registration for both events can be done at www.mjga.ca.
Cosplay
The organization will use the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre’s foyer to showcase all the cosplayers, while it has also booked two dressing rooms in which participants can change.
Several cosplay groups from Regina and Saskatoon have tentatively committed to attending, including one group that wears Japanese anime costumes.
“Some of the costumes are very intricate,” said group spokesman Kristian Sjoberg. “We set that up for them, for a section of nerd culture that we had not been part of (before). … We are excited and scared all at the same time (for the inaugural event).”
The nerd culture in Moose Jaw is big, Sjoberg said. Hundreds of cosplayers from the community travelled to Regina recently for the Saskatchewan Expo to display their outfits. Some people are even considered top tier costume designers.
The response to the association’s request for cosplayers has been good, Sjoberg added, as people are excited for this inaugural event.
GAX
The Gamer’s Expo is a semi-annual event — held in the winter and summer — that is the association’s main fundraiser. Proceeds have gone to support projects that focus on children, such as school lunch programs, iPads for the hospital’s pediatric ward, the Children’s Wish Foundation, hearing implants, and literacy initiatives.
Instead of being held at St. Joseph's Church this year, it is being held at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre on Main Street.
“We’re always looking for children’s charities to help … ,” Sjoberg said. “We’re not doing (this) for financial gain. We do it to benefit the children of Moose Jaw.”
This year MJGA is working with the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank to support its new Brain Bags program. These bags are filled with snacks and ensure children aren’t left out during snack time at school.
The association holds two GAX events since sometimes people can’t make one, Sjoberg explained. Fewer people from out of town attend in the winter if it’s cold, while there are some people who go to Craven in July for the country music festival.
“Summer used to be a lot smaller, but it has balanced out over the last few years,” Sjoberg added. “We’ve ensured we don’t hold it during other events in Saskatchewan.”
Business awards
MJGA has been nominated the past couple of years for an award through the Moose Jaw Business Excellence (MJBEX) Awards program because of its charitable donations. However, it has not yet won an award through the program.
It was great to be recognized with a nomination, Sjoberg said. These nominations have given the association better name recognition throughout the community, as residents are now more familiar with what the group does. The nominations also make it easier for group members to accept compliments since many are introverts.
“Just because we’re nerds doesn’t mean we don’t want to do good,” Sjoberg added. “We’re proud to be able to give back to our community.”
