Aroha for NZ: Gamers around the world unite to support Christchurch
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After the terrible events that happened in Christchurch recently, streamers around the world are coming together. Mike “Solitaire YTG,” a Kiwi streamer, reached out to Goto.Game to build the event. The aim is to honor the memory of those who were killed in the devastating attacks. We wrote about one of the victims, a former CS:S pro, Atta Elayyan, a few days ago. “Aroha for NZ” will be used to spread the meaning of “Aroha” to the people of New Zealand. Aroha is a Maori, or Indigenous New Zealand word, meaning complete love and support. When Solitaire reached out to Phid McAwesome from Goto.Game, Solitaire wanted to do something to show this love and support:

When the news broke of the attack, everyone’s reaction was shock. We are all deeply affected by this, but none more so than the victims’ families and the people of Christchurch. We have to react and do something, anything, to help and to show love against hate. There are people within the gaming community who have a voice that is heard when they speak, so I reached out to Phid first, then made a Twitter video post. People approached in droves to show support for the stream.

Aroha charity stream

The event will be open to streamers worldwide. Nothing says love and support better than an open, international event. The stream will also be “unbranded.” McAwesome believes this will ensure that Aroha isn’t seen as a marketing exercise, but one that simply shows support:

We want to ensure that this stream is nothing but Aroha (love) for those affected,the victims, their whanau (family) and the people of our homeland of Aotearoa/New Zealand.  So we will not be branding this stream with company logos, however if brands want to assist we welcome their support of practical assistance or even donations. Please follow our Twitch, Twitter and Facebook accounts to find out more.

McAwesome will be co-organizing the event alongside Solitaire. Aroha is set to take place on Saturday, March 30 through Sunday, March 31 AEDT. Streamers all around the world are invited to participate. If you’re a streamer and want to sign up, you can do so via the registration form. Other brands looking to be involved can email Phid McAwesome. A website has also been set up where people can donate, find information about the event, and more. The stream will be live during the event on Twitch.

In times of hardship, it’s great to know there are still kind people who will give up their time to support others.


Michelle is a Content Producer in the realms of innovation and technology. Known as the “Hackathon Queen” 👑 you'll often find her on stage MC’ing or speaking on a range of topics from artificial intelligence, to business, community engagement, the future of work, and esports. With a background in both science and arts, Michelle writes extensively on a range of topics including innovation, startups, corporate culture, esports, business development, and more. She has a passion for gaming and combines this with her experience in a range of industries. Michelle brings a unique insight into esports innovation and draws many parallels between the physical world of sport, and the digital world of esports.


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