For the second year running we were approached by our friends in Double H Ranch to run their winter fundraiser. Due to the heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures around Lake Luzerne, New York they decided to run their fundraiser virtually so everybody could attend from their comfort of their armchair at home, hence the apt name - The Armchair Olympics!

The Charity

The Double H Ranch, located in New York’s Adirondack Park, is a demonstration of the commitment and generosity of philanthropist Charles R. Wood and actor Paul Newman. Since the Double H officially opened its doors on July 4, 1993, it has served over 60,000 children dealing with life-threatening illnesses from around the world. It was the second “Hole in the Wall Camp” in what has become a worldwide network of not-for-profit recreational and therapeutic experiences for children with serious illness.

The Process

Due to the close proximity in time of the virtual fundraiser to the Winter Olympics 2022 in Beijing, along with the strong link between Lake Placid in New York to the Winter Olympics, we decided to go with a Winter Olympics themed custom game for this fundraising event - hence the idea of the Armchair Olympics was born!

To encourage participation we explored the idea of getting support from an Olympian for this event. With luck, Double H have a big fan in the form of American Olympian athlete Andrew Weibrecht! Andrew is an Alpine Ski Racer and a two time Olympic Medalist for the USA. Andrew provided a video message and question for participants to answer which we were able to programme into the app game.

As a return for sponsoring the event, we came up with a two prong sponsorship opportunity. The Gold Medal Sponsors were given a mention in the game, a place on the event team's Zoom backgrounds and a shout out from the event host. Bronze Medal Sponsors were given a place on the event team's Zoom backgrounds!

Regarding the game, we decided to create a journey of that of a Winter Olympian. The game screen was a road map with each different stop a different part of the Olympian's journey, starting with the Opening Ceremony, Parade of Nations, Mental Skills, Physicals Skills and then finally, the Closing Ceremony.

The Result

57 participants over 14 teams took on the Armchair Olympics through Zoom. The event began with a speech from Max Yurenda, the CEO of Double H Ranch followed by a moving video from Double H Ranch.

The interaction over the course of the event was phenomenal and there was such a feel good mood amongst all the participants.

The top 3 teams finished on the Armchair Olympic's Virtual Podium and received prizes.

The event allowed Double H connect with its main sponsors and lots of its supporters all whilst raising valuable funds for the great work Double H undertakes each year.

All told, this was a massive success and it is always a joy to work with a charity like Double H.