Thousands to watch Mario for charity

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Their wives call them Brian, Chris, and John, but to Mario fans across the globe who watch their charity fundraiser, they are known as "couch guy, slouch guy, and shirt guy."

"My nickname was slouch guy," said Chris Deckard. "Because I sort of slouch in the couch."

"It's amazing," said 30 year old Brian Brinegar. "If I were to play video games for a few hours before we started this my wife [would say] 'Well, you're wasting time.' But then you're doing it for charity and it's 'Yeah, you can play all weekend, have your 30 year old friends over for a sleepover.'"

Brinegar started the Mario Marathon, a three day event streamed live on the web, last year. It's an effort to raise money for the group Child's Play Charity. The organization provides toys, games, and books to kids in hospitals across the country, including the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

"I think that a lot of charities support healing in the hospitals and the fees and stuff associated with being in the hospital," said Brinegar. "There's something about being a kid that gets left out."

The friends said they were shocked by the response. They drew in more than 100,000 viewers who watched them play the seven Mario Brothers' video games. The popularity paid off and the group raised nearly $12,000 last year.

"It's surprising how many people tuned in to watch three middle aged guys play video games," joked Deckard.

The trio spends its time not only playing games, but interacting with those watching online through chat rooms, the webcam, and e-mail.

"People send us fan art, they'll draw pictures of us, or they'll create something that has Mario in it, Deckard said.

The friends said they're not the best players in the world, but they said the goal is not just fun or fame, it's to give children in hospitals across the nation a chance to forget their pain for awhile and experience the joy of being a kid.

You can tune in to be a part of the Mario Marathon. It begins at 9:00 a.m. Friday, July 10. Watch the Mario Marathon by clicking here.

People can get prizes for donating to the marathon, or for promoting them on Twitter. If you have a Twitter account, just include the hashtag "#mariomarathon" in a tweet to be entered in the drawing. WLFI will be sending out a tweet to promote the marathon on our Twitter account later today.