We’re sharing some sad news today, but it comes with a chance to help.
The Escape Room community has come together for a Christmas charity fundraiser, to help raise money for one of our own: Stephen Hawker, owner and creator of MARVO Mysteries in Bournemouth in the UK.
Steve is currently undergoing treatment for brain cancer… however his time is likely limited. The Escape Room Community has banded together to raise money in the spirit of the Christmas season so Steve and his partner Lizzy can make a few amazing memories for their family.
David and I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Bournemouth, but the REA Hivemind really enjoyed M.A.R.V.O Archives: Online Escape Room Adventure in 2020.
We donated to this auction, and if you have the funds we hope you’ll bid on one of the many amazing prizes or donate to this cause. And there are some truly incredible things up for auction…
Christmas Charity Auction
A number of escape room creators have donated props and unique experiences to raise money for Steve, Lizzy, and their family.
There are gift vouchers for so many of the world’s greatest escape rooms and one-of-a-kind items from across the escape room world.
Here are a few auction items that might intrigue a REA reader, and that you can experience without traveling internationally:
- The Lance of Longinus (yes, the prop!) from the now-closed The Lance of Longinus (Time Run, London, UK)
- Madame Daphne’s Tarot Deck from The Man From Beyond at Strange Bird Immersive (Houston, TX, USA)
- £222 Game Gift Voucher (online or in-person) for The Vanishing Act or The Storykeeper at Locurio (Seattle, WA, USA)
- £226.60 Full Game Gift Voucher (online or in-person) for Inventor’s Attic or any of the other experiences at Escape My Room (New Orleans, LA, USA)
- Appear as a Comic Book Character in an Escape Room Novel: Agent 3nigma and the Hell Dogs from Uranus, a play-at-home escape game/ graphic novel from one half of the team from Bewilder Box.
If you’re considering giving someone an escape room gift this holiday, please think of shopping here. The auction ends December 23rd!
As a community, we’re asking you to please bid what you can. Every single pound you can give genuinely helps, and if you can’t bid, you can still donate.
About Steve
Steve has given so many hours, months, and years of his life to make amazing experiences for tens of thousands of people: now is the time that we, his peers, friends and fellow enthusiasts, can give back in the way that matters most.
Here is a message from Lizzie, his partner:
Steve became unwell earlier this year with headaches, after a lot of back and forth with doctors saying it’s just migraines caused by stress, we were forced to go private and in August he had an MRI scan which showed a primary brain tumour. Everything moved very fast and he had lots of cognitive tests done (like name 10 animals, he could name 2). He then had a 5-hour awake brain surgery to remove the majority of the tumour, and they also had to take some of his brain that now affects his speech, eyesight and memories. I’m sorry to have to tell you that after the biopsy we now know it is a Grade 4 glioblastoma. He has just finished 6 weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment, and whilst we remain positive time could be limited.
We are looking forward to making some happy memories, with Steve’s birthday coming up, Christmas, AND we are getting married in January in Scotland (it only took him 13 years!). After that the dream is to take a trip to Disneyland and Universal Studios in Florida. Steve spends countless hours mesmerized by Disney and filmmakers and how we can incorporate that into our escape rooms.
