Fundraising stream! Help espie pay the rent and get HRT
On Saturday January 3, Ash and I are doing a 9-hour stream together where we raise money for our friend espie, a trans girl who is in a dire situation.
You may know espie from being the author of The Pinball Primer, a guide to how to go for high scores on nearly 800 pinball machines. If you're in a pinball tournament, and you tap a table name on Matchplay and then tap "Primer", this is the site you get. It's the most extensive pinball strategy guide ever written, and she wrote all of it.
You might also know espie from being an amazing Dr. Mario speedrunner - she was the 2025 Dr. Mario Silver League speed champion.
espie has been out of work for a while, struggling to pay rent, and feeling like she's so stuck that she can't start HRT. And maybe we can help!
We're setting a fundraising goal of $1000, which I know is a lot to ask for. That amount is just enough to give her some breathing room, some extra time to hopefully find a job and get on her feet without being desperate to stay housed and eat. Anything beyond that would help her out greatly, of course.
Donation link: espie is collecting donations through buymeacoffee, at https://buymeacoffee.com/pinballprimer. espie chose buymeacoffee as the fundraising platform because it's the one that has never asked for her deadname. You can donate early if you want and it will count toward the goal!
Join us for:
- 2-player virtual pinball, where donors can request any game from this huge list
- Advice from espie about how to get a better score
- Ash and me playing unpracticed Dr. Mario
- Real pinball (Godzilla, Total Nuclear Annihilation, Black Knight Sword of Rage, or Elvira's House of Horrors) as a donation incentive
- Silly musical performances?
The stream starts on Saturday, January 3 at 2pm Eastern, on twitch.tv/arborelia.