HOPE:ON, a day of play, creativity, and giving
On August 15, Be Peace – Be Hope, ECDC Houston Multicultural Center, and Know Your Neuro brought HOPE:ON to Game Guys, Houston’s premier gaming destination. The live charity streaming event brought together content creators, gamers, and community partners and shone a light on youth mental wellness, especially for under-resourced youth navigating stress, disconnection, and a growing mental health crisis.
HOPE:ON was created to raise support and to bring people and communities together around a shared purpose: helping young people grow, connect, discover their potential, and recognize the positive impact they can have on others.
Play
Game Guys opened its doors and brought the day to life with community tournaments, gaming experiences, and interactive activities. Gaming, creativity, and human connection came together naturally throughout the day. Competition turned into conversations. Games sparked new friendships. Creativity flowed from gaming into art, expression, and meaningful exchanges.
Clutch City Bladers brought an amazing Beyblade community and so much excitement to the event. Texas Armored Combat drew loud cheers with a live demonstration that became one of the most memorable moments of the day, and a reminder of the values often associated with knights: courage, discipline, respect, teamwork, protection, and service to something greater than oneself. At HOPE:ON, these values connect deeply with our message of peace and hope. Peace takes courage, self-control, respect, and the choice to use our strength in service of others. Hope grows when young people see that strength can be guided by purpose, kindness, and community.
Create
Art offered another way to pause, express yourself, connect with others, and leave a little hope behind. Guests of all ages explored four creative experiences:
- Hope Mail Art: cards filled with kindness, encouragement, or hope, placed in our Hope Mailbox for someone else to receive.
- Value, Strength & Dream: a value that guides you, a strength you carry, and a dream you want to grow, brought together through words and art.
- Stones of Hope: simple stones transformed with a word, symbol, or message of hope, to keep, to give away, or to become a small ripple of encouragement.
- The Forest of Possibility: leaves, words, images, and messages added to a growing forest, each one something guests hope could grow, for themselves, for someone else, or for the world.
Karine Parker-Lemoyne and board member Sacha Lazarre developed these activities themselves, including during a special creative workshop at Red Bird Press, testing, creating, and imagining how each one could spark expression, connection, and joy. Sometimes meaningful conversations begin with a paintbrush, a stone, a card, or a single word.
Give
Gaming creator Ninjayla joined the livestream and became a strong and authentic advocate for Be Peace – Be Hope, EsperHope™, and the programs of ECDC Houston Multicultural Center, speaking naturally about the missions and encouraging her community to get involved. She discovered and played the EsperHope™ demo with real enthusiasm, then joined us onsite to meet the young people, spend time with the community, listen, learn, and connect with the people behind the project.
Our esports partner Cloud9 believed in our mission and the vision behind EsperHope™, amplifying HOPE:ON through its community and social platforms and providing exclusive merchandise and giveaways for attendees. Together, we showed how gaming communities can extend beyond the screen and create meaningful real-world impact.
Our impact partner, the Asian American Youth Giving Circle, was introduced to us through ECDC Houston Multicultural Center and believed in our vision from the very first pitch. A heartfelt thank you to the Asian American Youth Giving Circle for their incredible support of Be Peace – Be Hope and for joining us at HOPE:ON.
Their generous grant is helping support Be Peace – Be Hope and ECDC-HMC programs and projects that empower young people to strengthen their well-being, build confidence and life skills, and create deeper opportunities for connection, belonging, and positive action.
Their support went beyond the grant. We were so grateful to welcome members of the AAYGC community at HOPE:ON, where they connected with participants and helped bring even more people into the energy and spirit of the day. That kind of presence matters.
Thank you, Asian American Youth Giving Circle, for believing in this vision from day one, investing in young people, and showing up alongside us. We are deeply grateful to have you as part of this journey.
Thank you
Thank you to Game Guys for being such incredible hosts. The Game Guys team has created a space where people of different ages and backgrounds can come together, feel safe, play, connect, and simply be themselves, and that spirit was felt throughout HOPE:ON. A very special thank you to Jordan, who made coordination so easy from start to finish, and to the entire team for their flexibility, energy, support, and willingness to jump in wherever needed.
Thank you, Ninjayla, for your time, care, advocacy, curiosity, and genuine involvement, and for becoming part of this journey with us. We truly hope this is only the beginning of what we can create together.
Thank you to Texas Armored Combat and Clutch City Bladers for sharing your passion and helping create a fun, meaningful, and unforgettable experience for everyone who attended.
Thank you, Cloud9 Esports, for helping us harness the power of gaming as a force for good.
Thank you to Eric Atticus for capturing these moments so beautifully through his photography.
And thank you to all of our partners, volunteers, young people, families, and supporters who helped us turn HOPE:ON.
