PRJKT VET, a Disabled Veteran owned company, is set to host the first annual Veteran’s Bowl Esports Tournament kicking off this Veteran’s Day (November 11) live on Twitch. The nationwide Madden tournament, which will run through the storied Army v.s. Navy game on December 12 pits various military branches against one another in a friendly competition to bring awareness to mental health challenges plaguing veterans and civilians alike.
The tournament is powered by Award Pool, an end-to-end esports tournament management platform, and is sponsored by ADDAZERO Funding, AwardPool, Digital Names, Dealbox, Vets Assisting Vets, SourceConnecte and Clayton Homes. Charity partners for the inaugural tournament are Warrior Research Institute (Baylor Scott & White) and Cohen Veteran Network.
Registration to participate is now available at: https://app.awardpool.com/lg/
“Mental health issues don’t discriminate between the military and civilians. We want to bring to light the importance of helping people find a place to belong. We have seen that esports really is one of those places and we feel that by hosting the Veterans Bowl, we are creating an outlet and building a community around a common interest, which is gaming,” said Rod Lee, co-founder of PRJKT VET.
A study conducted by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in 2019 concluded that video games helped veterans with several areas related to mental health issues: managing moods and relieving stress; adaptive coping (distraction, control, symptom substitution); eudaimonic well-being (confidence, insight, role functioning); and socializing.
“After learning more about the proven positive effects that esports and gaming have on veterans’ mental health, coupled with the fact that COVID has isolated so many people, we thought it would be a great opportunity to bring veterans and civilians together to create a like-minded community and with the goal of making this an annual event,” said Jermaine Cohen, co-founder of PRJKT VET.
The tournament will hold various player challenges throughout the month with chances to win a selection of prizes, culminating in the tournament finals which will take place on December 12. This will be decided through Award Pool’s Quest system, which provides the ability to create sponsor and player-driven activities.
“It’s not often you get the opportunity to support a great cause through the utilization of a product you create from scratch. The Veteran’s Bowl is a perfect example of how you can use Award Pool’s various capabilities to create an international tournament from start to finish,” said Reuven Cohen, co-founder of Award Pool.
The tournament is free to enter and opportunities to donate to PRJKT VET will be made available online. For more information go to https://prjktvet.com/veterans-
