As much as we all enjoy it, it’s hard to deny that the Magic: The Gathering community can be a pretty negative place at times. Hot takes sell better than cold ones online, and every new decision on Wizards’ part tends to be met with heavy skepticism. Every so often, however, a story comes along that reminds us why we got into this game in the first place. Today, we’ve been graced by an absolute doozy. Thanks to a massive fundraising drive by the MTG community, over $150,000 has just been raised for charity Trans Lifeline.
This campaign started with a giveaway from Tolarian Community College’s Professor. Over the course of a day it has grown massively, drawing in other major community figures and generating truly staggering donation numbers. With two days still to go, this could end up being one of the biggest charity events in MTG history. It’s a true testament to the force for good Magic players can be when called upon.
The MTG Trans Lifeline Campaign
The MTG Trans Lifeline campaign in question began yesterday, with a Twitter post from Tolarian Community College’s Professor. It offered a pretty substantial prize. 10 lucky winners would each get a box of each Masters set from Magic’s past, 10 boxes in total. That’s 100 boxes of premium Magic: The Gathering goodness. To be in with a chance of winning a batch, players need only donate to the charity Trans Lifeline, in multiples of $4, before February 15th.
As outlined on the Professor’s campaign page, this charity drive comes in response to recent changes made by the US government which make life more difficult for trans people living there. As the page notes, “The work of Trans Lifeline is more important now than ever.” The donations given will be put towards the Trans Lifeline support hotline, as well as larger services like providing new IDs to trans people, or commissary grants to those in prison.
At the time of writing, this campaign has been an explosive success. Over 4300 people have donated, and the total raised sits at around $150,000. This goes far beyond players hoping to grab some cheap booster boxes. The MTG community has really stepped up here, putting serious money behind a great cause. Responding to this unprecedented success on Twitter, the Professor had the following to say:
“Magic: The Gathering players have raised $150,000 for TransLifeline in just 24 hours! We are going until Saturday morning so let’s keep this pace and make a new record! I am absolutely floored by this community. When we Gather together we really do make Magic!”
The Professor
The Professor has always been a vocal advocate for minority groups in Magic. This campaign is just the latest evidence of that. That said, this wasn’t a one-man show. Following the original launch, countless other figures within the MTG community stepped forward to do their part.
A Community-Wide Effort
These people represent some of the best-known faces in MTG, so seeing them step up to support Trans Lifeline was fantastic. Each offered an additional prize incentive, too, to fan the fires further. The Command Zone’s Josh Lee Kwai, for example, threw in a selection of Collector Booster Boxes, including a couple from Innistrad Remastered. Prolific Magic: The Gathering streamer CovertGoBlue and his team also contributed, adding a signed playmat and some super-spicy singles to the pot.
It’s been especially encouraging to see MTG-aligned companies get involved with the campaign. Companies can be reluctant to contribute to causes like this for fear of the political backlash. That didn’t stop Gamegenic from adding a bunch of Magic accessories to the prize pool, however. It didn’t stop CoolStuffInc either, who threw in four Aetherdrift Play Booster Boxes of their own.
Even more than the big-time creators and companies, it’s been fantastic seeing the game’s lesser-heard voices get involved in this campaign too. Lord Majicus, Fishfinder General, noted Merfolk player, threw in a Ponies: The Galloping Secret Lair. Jenn the Judge, a member of the Birds of Paradise collective which aims to represent marginalized voices in Magic, added a Ravnica Remastered Draft Box. They also noted that “Trans Lifeline saved my life. It has saved the lives of so many people.” Among all the fun and flashy prizes, it’s important to remember that.
This campaign has really showcased the wide-ranging generosity of the Magic community. Big names are putting in big prizes, and smaller creators are giving what they can. It takes all of these voices, together, to make a real difference. Based on the numbers so far, it looks like this campaign has been a wild success in this regard.
‘The Gathering,’ Indeed
Events like this Trans Lifeline campaign really make you proud to be an MTG player. That said, this is far from the first time the community has shown up for a great cause. As much as players love to grumble and criticize day-to-day, time and again they’ve proven that, when push comes to shove, they’ll be there.
Just look at last year’s Sheldon’s Spellbook Secret Lair drop. This was designed alongside Commander legend Sheldon Menery prior to his passing, and 50% of the proceeds from its sales went to the American Cancer Society. Here the community showed up in force, buying so many drops that $2.1 million dollars were raised for the charity by the end. The cards were, of course, a nice incentive. Looking at the discussion around the drop, however, players were more keen to sock it to Cancer. Some even bought multiple drops just to do so.
This isn’t the first big Trans Lifeline campaign in Magic: The Gathering, either. Tolarian Community College has run similar events over the past few years, each bigger than the last. In 2023 over $240,000 was raised for the charity. Last year, over $425,000. At the current rate, we may see this year’s event surpass even that eye-watering figure.
Times like this are a reminder of what really matters, both in Magic and in life. We can all grumble about new sets and questionable bans, but in the end, we come together when times are hard. Much more so than the Magic it’s this aspect, The Gathering, which really defines the game. Long may it continue.