The Gaming Hoopla is an annual gaming convention, run by a cancer charity non-profit, and partners with Aurora Cancer Care.
Featuring: Tabletop board games, card games, miniatures, role-playing games, giant & life-size board games, tournaments, exhibitors, play-to-win events, silent auction, a HUGE raffle, the Hoopla games library, and much more!
With hundreds of scheduled events, as well as open gaming areas and a free rental library, Gaming Hoopla is an ideal place for boardgame hobbyists to play with friends and family, or meet new gaming buddies! We host games of all age levels and skill levels, genres and play types. Our game experts manning the Games Library can also help guide to a game that matches your experience, interests, available time, number of players etc.
Check out our Special Events page for more information on everything Gaming Hoopla has to offer!
The 2023 Gaming Hoopla will once again be held at the Doubletree by Hilton in Mundelein, IL.
The Gaming Hoopla is run under the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization known as the Hoopla Foundation.
Featuring: Tabletop board games, card games, miniatures, role-playing games, giant & life-size board games, tournaments, exhibitors, play-to-win events, silent auction, a HUGE raffle, the Hoopla games library, and much more!
With hundreds of scheduled events, as well as open gaming areas and a free rental library, Gaming Hoopla is an ideal place for boardgame hobbyists to play with friends and family, or meet new gaming buddies! We host games of all age levels and skill levels, genres and play types. Our game experts manning the Games Library can also help guide to a game that matches your experience, interests, available time, number of players etc.
Check out our Special Events page for more information on everything Gaming Hoopla has to offer!
The 2023 Gaming Hoopla will once again be held at the Doubletree by Hilton in Mundelein, IL.
The Gaming Hoopla is run under the 501(c)(3) non-profit organization known as the Hoopla Foundation.
Why We HooplaPersonal stories of board games and cancer from attendees and staff
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Location and Accommodation InfoHyatt Regency, Milwaukee, WI
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2024 Gaming Hoopla Recap
Here in our 16th year, we broke records left and right. By the numbers for this year:
All together, we wrote a check to Aurora Cancer Care for $30,684!
- Badges: we sold OUT at 575 badges! (2023 = 491 badges)
- VIG Badges: Even though we increased the amount available, our VIG badges sold out in a record 45 minutes!
- Silent Auction: A new record with 2,800 lots, and raised $8,157 for the Hoopla (2023 = 2,157 lots, with $5,896 raised for the Hoopla)
- Events: over 143 event judges ran 530 scheduled events!
- Library: 371 games checked out, totaling 446 hours of game play. The most popular checkout was Sky Team
- Raffle: This year represented our highest dollar value for the raffle ever, including the single largest prize we ever raffled: a wooden gaming table!
All together, we wrote a check to Aurora Cancer Care for $30,684!
And if we tally up our donations from the last six Hooplas, we have given cancer charities over $196,000!
WE'D LIKE TO EXTEND A VERY BIG THANKS TO...
Very Important Gamers - who go above and beyond with their support by donating extra for their admission badge
Volunteers - for helping to setup on Thursday night, tear down on Sunday, and run the library, silent auction, and registration desk throughout the Hoopla
Event Judges - the Hoopla wouldn't be the powerhouse event it is today without the packed events schedule, and the time, creativity, and kindness of all the folks running those events
Individual donors - those that donated games for the library, made cash donations, or other donations of any sort
Staff at the DoubleTree by Hilton - They worked hard to provide us with a clean, comfortable space and quick responses to anything we needed
Volunteers - for helping to setup on Thursday night, tear down on Sunday, and run the library, silent auction, and registration desk throughout the Hoopla
Event Judges - the Hoopla wouldn't be the powerhouse event it is today without the packed events schedule, and the time, creativity, and kindness of all the folks running those events
Individual donors - those that donated games for the library, made cash donations, or other donations of any sort
Staff at the DoubleTree by Hilton - They worked hard to provide us with a clean, comfortable space and quick responses to anything we needed
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Morgan Healey and Ilka Hoffins from Aurora Cancer Care, for telling us about Team Phoenix and other projects at Aurora Cancer Care
Charles Boyung - for programing and maintaining our auction software Ken Lewandowski and Vicki McKinley - for running their Hoopla in the City Mega Tournament Lee Maile - For once again sharing his personal experiences in front of hundreds of people and filling us with hope and inspiration Lauren Dower - for donating her professional photography skills during the entire Hoopla! Double Exposure, and their rep, Mike Wilson - for running the Illinois State Championships and for the donated games for the Plan and Win. Local Business Sponsors - Color Ink, Balsitis Contracting, Kathleen Weinstein Photography, Lovin Oven, Bill’s Pizza & Pub, LMI Packaging, Kristina Rodriquez, and Gererac Power Systems Board Game Industry Sponsors - AllPlay, BoardGameGeek, Plan B Games, Meeple Source, StrataStrike, Binxadinx Games, Kayenta Games, Stonemaier Games, Chicagoland Games, and Good Games Chicago. And, Your Gaming Hoopla Staff!
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We also made a surprise donation to Hair We Share, which provides wigs to clients with medical-related hair loss from chemotherapy or alopecia. The Hoopla donated $150 (which covers the labor costs of a single wig) and our staff member Beth donated over 12” of her hair!
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