Gen.G and EMU announced Gamers Outreach Founder, Zach Wigal as their 2022 Ring of Honor recipient. With a dedication to excellence in gaming at the forefront for both Gen.G and EMU, The Ring of Honor recognizes EMU grads who have gone on to accomplish great things in the gaming/esports space.
Gamers Outreach is a for-purpose organization dedicated to ensuring every hospital is enabled to provide children with activities alongside care. Wigal and the Gamers Outreach community have enabled more than 3.65 million gaming experiences for hospitalized families. Wigal’s other honors include being recognized as a 2019 CNN Hero and being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list (2017) for his work in the games for health space.
Global esports organization Gen.G and its partner Eastern Michigan University (EMU) announced Gamers Outreach Founder, Zach Wigal (BBA16), as their 2022 Ring of Honor recipient, continuing their joint dedication to excellence in gaming. The Ring of Honor was established to celebrate EMU graduates who have accomplished great things in the technology, gaming, and/or esports industries. Wigal joins inaugural award recipient Kyle Ellicott, a 2007 computer science graduate and co-founder of Topio Networks and ReadWrite Labs.
“Zach has been a positive and influential member of the Eastern Michigan University community while a student here and since his graduation in 2016,” said University President James Smith. “His work to establish Gamers Outreach and develop it into a nationally recognized organization that conducts outstanding work supporting young people who are hospitalized reflects the very best of the best of the Eastern Michigan University community. We’re proud to have Zach as an alumni and honored to present him with the 2022 Ring of Honor.”
“The work Zach has accomplished with Gamers Outreach in such a short amount of time is nothing short of the prime example of what it really means to be in the Ring of Honor,” said Arnold Hur, CEO for Gen.G. “Zach encompasses exactly the kind of excellence Gen.G’s partnership with EMU looks to foster in the next generation of our industry.”
Wigal’s other honors include being recognized as a 2019 CNN Hero, named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list (2017) for his work in the games for health space, he was selected as Los Angeles Children’s Hospital’s Emerging Leaders, and he was named Outstanding Young Alumni by the Eastern Michigan University Alumni Association in 2021.
In 2016, Wigal graduated from EMU where he studied Business Administration. Wigal first founded Gamers Outreach in 2007 and the following year Gamers for Giving was created. EMU hosted the annual Gamers for Giving fundraising events from 2008 to 2019. Since then, the event has been held virtually due to the global pandemic. Gamers Outreach is a for-purpose organization dedicated to ensuring every hospital is enabled to provide children with activities alongside care. Wigal and the Gamers Outreach community have enabled more than 3.65 million gaming experiences for hospitalized families across more than 315 healthcare facilities in the U.S.
“Each year, millions of young people receive medical care inside hospitals. For many, the process can be scary and isolating. Wigal founded Gamers Outreach intending to change their experience. His commitment and enthusiasm for helping others is a cornerstone of our organization, and through the generosity of the gaming community, we’re making a difference together in a big way,” says Lindsey Antrim, Marketing Director of Gamers Outreach.
Wigal will receive a commemorative plaque, a replica of which will be displayed in the gaming space on the Eastern Michigan University campus.
