Surviving Bloomington
2019
The Next Step
In 2019, we got a new group of 16 players to come out for a new game with the goal of taking it a step further - this year we wanted to add purpose to the game. We decided to encourage everyone involved with the event to do what they could to raise money for people in Bloomington experiencing homelessness.
This time players were not only playing an intense game, but now they were provided the opportunity to gain empathy for people in our community that might be less fortunate than themselves. Throughout the game they had to endure harsh weather, hunger, fatigue, paranoia, and frustration.
However, through all the difficulties of the game, every player, crew member, and spectator said that Surviving Bloomington was an unforgettable experience where they were able to discover something about themselves, build new friendships, strengthen existing ones, and gain a level of confidence that they hadn’t had before.
Ultimately our final three for 2019 consisted of Isaiah Clark, Alisa Klepach, and Chris Bridge (left to right), with Chris taking the win in the finals with a 5-2-1 vote. Jury member Dallas Krinop described the three’s games perfectly at the final counsel, saying that Isaiah had the perfect physical game, Alisa had the perfect social game, and Chris had the perfect strategic game. In the end, the jury decided that Chris’s strategic command of the game is what got him the win.
Surviving Bloomington 2019 was an important year because it was a big step in us taking a fun game based off of the reality television show Survivor that we have all known and loved for years, and using it in a way to help our community grow in a positive direction. SB2019 was able to raise $1,500 to donate towards helping people in Bloomington experiencing homelessness. Now it’s time to see what we can do for SB2020!