Our Story

Warriors and Survivors Esports Gaming Lounge (WSEGL Canada)
From a Roblox dream to a federally registered movement. A grassroots effort turned into a National movement.

Why a Warrior? Why a Survivor? Why the name?

This is not just about one persons story, this is who we are as a community. For the overlooked, underserved, and a group who cares. We understand what it is to Just be Human. We are family.

It All Started With a Spark. And a Game.

In 2021, our story began not with fanfare, but with love, struggle, and a daughter’s imagination. Her Dad was diagnosed with Cancer, and lived with a disability most had never heard of before, CRPS.

During a time of intense medical trauma, cancer recovery, and isolation, our founder Matt Brown watched his daughter Olivia build something extraordinary in Roblox — a fully imagined esports lounge. It had safe spaces, custom consoles, welcoming zones for and healing corners for survivors.

That digital build lit the flame.

WSEGL Canada was born not as a company — but as a promise. A promise to ensure no one facing chronic illness, disability, trauma, or marginalization would ever feel invisible again.

From Cancer to Consoles — Our Early Days

WSEGL launched during Matt’s recovery from testicular cancer and lymphatic cancer and CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome), a rare and agonizing nerve condition. While navigating unemployment, pain, and a broken system, Matt realized the tools that had helped him heal — gaming, storytelling, and community — could save lives.

We began with Cancer Care Bags, built with love and delivered directly to those in treatment. These were hand-packed with warmth, dignity items, and even personalized gaming touches. Each bag carried a message: you’re not alone. 518 Care bags have been delivered to Princess Margaret Hospital, and Lakeridge Health Oshawa, as well as a Cancer center in Edmonton Alberta. These bags contain 11 personal care items, activity books for adults and children, and a personal hand written post card from our team to the Cancer Warrior fighting their battle.

This naturally evolved into Consoles for Cancer — a program collecting used gaming consoles and accessories, refurbishing them, and gifting them to kids, teens, and adults undergoing treatment. Every console comes with a Fair Market Value tax receipt and the story of the person it came from. 16 high end personal gaming PC's have been built, and 193 total refurbished computers have made their way into other Non-Profits hands.

Now, we call it Consoles for Care — because what we offer goes beyond just cancer. We serve the disabled, the chronically ill, the neurodivergent, the 2SLGBTQI+ and the overlooked.

Events That Built a Movement

From a digital dream to physical spaces, WSEGL Canada became mobile. With no paid staff and zero corporate infrastructure, we hit the road — setting up gaming lounges in community centers, outdoor farms, schools, and even in parks. We became known for safe, drop-in spaces where trauma survivors and marginalized families could just be themselves.

We have proudly activated at:

MidWestFest - Kansas City, Missouri
Kawartha Lakes Pride - Fenenlon Falls, Ontario
Abilities Center Expos - Los Angeles, New Jersey, Toronto
Walsh Forest Farm - Warren, Ontario
The Rollettes Experience - Los Angeles, California
Art and culture events - Lindsay, Ontario
and countless private healing spaces

With every controller held, every match played, and every story told — WSEGL’s impact grew.

A Legacy of Fundraising and Healing

Everything we’ve built has been funded by the people — private grants, community donations, and in-kind support, and the odd national corporate sponsorship.

Over $24,500 has been redirected into cancer support, adaptive gear, and care packages, all tracked and traceable.

We’ve received support through:

The Electronic Recycling Association
Amazon Wishlist donations
Private angel donors
Our eco-conscious merch store (which funds new adaptive gear for future events)
Legacy donations from families who believe in our mission

Every dollar pays it forward. Every dollar funds another gamer finding happiness again.

Beyond Gaming — We Became a Voice

We’re more than a gaming lounge. We’re a safe haven for:

2SLGBTQI+ youth and families
Disabled gamers and adaptive tech users
Cancer survivors navigating recovery
Neurodivergent and trauma-affected individuals

We’ve worked with:

Cornell University
The Northeast ADA Center
Adaptive technology leaders like Logitech and Microsoft
Allied partners in arts, music, and education

And now, WSEGL is proud to power The Spark OS — the world’s first emotionally intelligent, trauma-informed AI large language model that is a support system built for real people. It began as a tool for our gamers, and is now growing into a global movement. It was built while connected to IV's, laying in hospital beds, and from the total community we have worked with since February 21, 2021.

Where We Are Now

WSEGL Canada is a federally registered nonprofit in both Canada and the United States.

We operate out of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada and are working toward a permanent home base: a mobile adaptive trailer, a modular bunkie, and a safe, inclusive, accessible hub for healing, gaming, and storytelling.

We are 100% volunteer-driven. Our directors — Matt, Melanie, Ryan, and Andrew — serve out of passion, lived experience, and a shared belief that healing is human.

We’ve hosted 93 gamers in 13 countries through remote programs, and we continue to show up — one plug-in at a time. They have helped through 20 charitable fundraising campaigns through our partner Streamlabs Charity, and continue to spread the mission. We have raised funds for Typhoon relief in the Phillipines, hurricane relief in the USA, and have donated 35% of our merch sales to other Cancer Non Profits in the United States and Canada.

Why We Exist

Because gaming can heal.

Because stories matter.

Because trauma shouldn’t define you — but it can empower you.

Because kids like Olivia dreamed up a better world — and we said yes.

Join Us.

Whether you’re a donor, a gamer, a family navigating illness, or a business who believes in change — you belong here.

We’re not a brand.
We’re a movement.
And we’re just getting started.

We would love to talk about you joining as a volunteer, helping host gaming events and philanthropy, and if the time is right, join as a volunteer Board of Director.

Featured photo. Matt Brown and Dr Mark Niglas receiving 250 care bags for Lakeridge Health Oshawa.