Following its announcement ahead of Smash ‘n Splash 2 a few weeks ago, I was able to catch up with the head of the new charity initiative Share Stock, Chloe Schupp-Omid or “Yink” as she’s known among Smashers, to talk about this project, its goals moving forward and how community members can get involved with this charity initiative.
Sam “Trilby” Foxall: For those who maybe aren’t aware, can you briefly explain what the Share Stock initiative is?
Chloe “Yink” Schupp-Omid: What Share Stock does is aim to benefit Child’s Play, a really fantastic organization that brings toys, games, books, and more to children in over 100 hospitals all over the world. The team members of Share Stock all share a mutual love and understanding for children, as they are our future and future gamers. We hope that by us enjoying Super Smash Bros. and promoting Share Stock, we can raise money to help them get copies of games they themselves enjoy to make their time in the hospital more enjoyable.
Trilby: What birthed the idea of Share Stock?
Yink: Well, I had personally wanted to host some type of charitable event years ago revolving around Smash, but then life sort of got in the way. Then, about a year and a half ago, I decided to tackle the idea again. I spoke with various people inside the Smash community for ideas and tips, including other TOs, other charitable organizations, and then regular players/spectators to hear their insight. The Smash community is no stranger to donating for a good cause. Back in 2013, Evo ran a charity drive for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), and of their total (over $225K), the Smash community came together for Melee and raised over $94K. Or what about #SmashTheRecord? Since 2014, they’ve raised over $64K for St. Jude, and they’re going to be holding another event again this November. In honesty, Share Stock’s team just wants everyone to enjoy playing Smash, no matter which installment, but also giving to those in need, no matter what the amount. Every dollar, euro, what have you, matters.
Trilby: Besides donating to Child’s Play directly and buying items from the Share Stock store, how can people help this initiative grow?
Yink: Simply put, by sharing our website around! Telling friends, loved ones, gaming enthusiasts, etc.! The lovely team at smash.gg worked hard to make our site look good and easily accessible. You can follow us on Twitter too for updates, future events, artist talks, and other neat stuff. We encourage people to talk about us and talk to us as well. The more people signal boost the more places we’ll reach. Our shop on smash.gg will have different items in the store from time to time, so I always encourage people to take a look. The items made are generally from people within the Smash community who think the cause is something special, and we appreciate it.
Trilby: I know TOs from USA, Canada and the UK are part of Share Stock, how can others become a Share Stock supporting event?
Yink: Send us an email or a direct message on Twitter! We’d like to hear from you and talk about how we could potentially work together! More events means more chances to make a difference.
Trilby: Smash ‘n Splash 2 was Share Stock’s first event, what was the response from Smashers attending?
Yink: I’d say it was a positive response. Many people enjoyed the idea of the initiative and can’t wait to see it grow over time. People came up to me at the event while I was TOing and said they couldn’t wait to pick up a wristband, shirt, or just donate directly because they wanted to help. The commentators on stream did a wonderful job promoting us so I’m thankful to each and every one of them.
Trilby: Are there any plans for a Share Stock specific event like Smash the Record sometime in the future? Maybe possible charity tournaments as part of a big event like Super Smash Con?
Yink: At this time, no, we do not have any plans of a specific event similar to #SmashTheRecord in size. But, we have talked about having perhaps smaller events (such as weeklies or monthlies) that could be specifically to benefit Share Stock. As for charity tournaments as part of a bigger event or national like Super Smash Con, perhaps a future endeavor!
Trilby: Will it be an unwritten rule that if someone shares a stock during top 8 of a Share Stock supporting event, they will have to donate a dollar to the cause?
Yink: Hahahaha! If the TO is okay with it and the players are down for it, I’d say go for it!
Trilby: If people want to help out, what is the next event that will be supporting Share Stock?
Yink: As of right now, we have a few events that are still in their planning phase so I cannot say exactly when they will be available. You can always check our smash.gg page for more information on upcoming events. If you scroll down, you’ll see the events that are currently supporting us. Shine and Super Smash Con are the next events that are 100% supporting us. However, we’re hoping to have a Canadian event support us in July, and then later down the road, a UK event as well.
