Earlier this year, we announced our quest to construct a 2.0 version of our portable gaming kiosks, GO Karts (Gamers Outreach Karts)! Since our original announcement, the release of our first digital renderings, AND our prototype unveiling, we’ve been working directly with a U.S. based manufacturing company to create a new GO Kart that is entirely and truly designed for our purpose. When the process is complete, we’ll be in a position to build way more GO Karts, way more efficiently – which means way more hospitalized kids will have access to recreation!
In the short-run, revising our manufacturing process means we’ve paused GO Kart deliveries until we’re ready to roll out the new units. For the time being, all funds raised in support of Project GO Kart are going towards our first batch of units as we move closer to construction. The wait however, will certainly be worthwhile. In this first batch alone, we’ll be able to build nearly as many GO Karts as we’ve ever built in the program’s entirety. In the next few years, we hope to construct many, many more GO Karts for hospitalized children. The time we’re now taking to improve our process will greatly contribute towards scaling the program.
That said, it’s with great excitement we bring you this fourth (and final) build update.
We’re proud to announce production on GO Kart 2.0 has officially begun! As of this blog post, we are in the process of manufacturing the first batch of new GO Karts!
Since building our prototype unit this past August, we were able to make a number of improvements which have been implemented into the final build. If you attended TwitchCon and stopped by our booth, you likely had the chance to see the prototype! We truly appreciated everyone’s encouragement and kind words. Receiving feedback from the community on the prototype was invaluable.
Some of the changes we’ve since implemented include:
- Additional ventilation for gaming console
- Finalized power cabling
- New, smaller actuator switch (for the GO Kart lift mechanism)
- Rubber stoppers along GO Kart legs
- Smaller footprint and mid-section
- Gesticulating monitor arm
As of now, our new expected date of completion for these units is between late December 2016 – early January 2017.* The following hospitals and streamers will be among the first to receive/deliver our new GO Karts…
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles**
- Staten Island University Hospital
- Seattle Children’s Hospital
- Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital**
- Rady Children’s Hospital
- Lurie Children’s Hospital
- Des Moines Children’s Hospital
- Mr Monopoli (Streamer – Hospital TBD)
- Margaret Krohn (Streamer – Hospital TBD)
- Drift0r (Streamer – Hospital TBD)
- Shady Penguin (Streamer – Hospital TBD)
- Hiko (Streamer – Hospital TBD)
- ImCoty (Streamer – Hospital TBD)
- Lindsay Elyse (Streamer – Phoenix Children’s Hospital)
- Lanai Gara (Streamer – St. Jude)
- TheChive (Streamers – Dell Children’s)
- Taylor Wood (Streamer – Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital)**
- Goldenboy (Hospital TBD)**
With the delivery of this new batch, in one swoop, we’ll be nearly doubling the number of GO Karts in existence, effectively impacting twice as many patients per year in hospitals throughout the country. This is truly remarkable. We’re so grateful to have the opportunity to provide relief to patients and their families. We’re also thankful to have received such support from the gaming community along the way.
Be on the lookout in the coming weeks as our first batch of new GO Karts begin rolling out! If you’re a streamer or hospital on the list above – be sure to check your inbox! We’ll be reaching out in the next few weeks to confirm delivery dates and shipping information.
Big thanks to everyone who’s been involved! We can’t wait to roll these out.
Interested in building a GO Kart of your own? Check out the Gamers Outreach fundraising platform to get started!
*Our timeline has been modified since the original post date. GO Kart shipments are now being fulfilled throughout the month of February & March, 2017.
** The following hospitals have been added to the list of initial beneficiaries since our original post date.