Hey all, and thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

What are you up to, Matt?

On 19th March 2016 at 9am GMT, I will be streaming video games on my Twitch channel (http://www.twitch.tv/skasocks) for a solid 24 hours, while doing some fun and silly things at each donation milestone.

Why are you doing this?

Here's the gist: my father, Gordon, was my hero. He was a merchant sailor, and had a friend in every country, among every walk of life. He was inclusive of everyone, loved to joke and play pranks, and loved by everyone who met him. He had a hard life though, suffered from alcoholism for a while, and lost his way before meeting my mother. He was a strong person, who had me late in life and who worked solidly up until just before his death. Even after his diagnosis, he still worked until he couldn't work anymore. Above all though, he laughed in the face of death.

On 12th January, 2011, he was diagnosed with late stage lung cancer, inoperable. The doctors should have caught it long before that, owing to an ignored shadow on his lung x-ray. After many trips in and out of hospital, including emergencies where he couldn't breathe, he died at 6:52am on 12th May, exactly 4 months later. I arrived just when the paramedics gave up trying to resuscitate him. I never had a chance to say goodbye, while he meanwhile died in my mother's arms.

This JustGiving is for him, and for all of those suffering from cancer. Macmillan Cancer Support provided an incredible service to my dad in his final days, and continues to work hard to do the same for other families affected by the illness. The organisation would cease to be without necessary fundraising, and those suffering from cancer would be left to suffer alone.

What can I do to support this?

Simply tuning in to my stream at some point on 19-20th March would be support enough, including giving my stream a follow and talking to me in the chat. However, if you want to do more, here's what I'd like from you:

Donate whatever you can through JustGiving. Whether that's a couple of quid, a larger amount, or a set donation of £1 per hour I manage to stay awake and stay gaming. 100% of donations will go directly to Macmillan Cancer Support, and I'll thank each and every one of you personally - unless you want to remain anonymous, that is.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

What are you going to stream?

Anything and everything, so long as it's on PS4! I have a bunch of games in mind, but I am totally open to suggestions for things you want to see. However, here's just a few of the games I'm hoping to play for you.

• Bloodborne
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
• Destiny
• Tom Clancy's The Division
• Far Cry: Primal
• LEGO Jurassic World
  
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
• LittleBigPlanet 3
• Minecraft
• Tearaway Unfolded
  
• Towerfall Ascension Multiplayer
• Unravel
• Valiant Hearts: The Great War
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  
• The Witness

You said something about donation milestones?

That's right! For every donation milestone, I'll do something fun and silly for you guys. Here's the current ideas - actual donation milestones will be added over the next week or so. Any suggestions? Please contact me on social media or email skasocks@gmail.com. I'd love to hear them!

• £200 - Eat Garlic Puree - Garlic is the best. Pure garlic puree straight from the tube surely is not.
• £225 - Eat Pure Ground Coffee - I love coffee. Will I love coffee as much when it's pure ground Java coffee? Let's find out.
• £250 - Blindfolded Platforming Game with Co-op Verbal Instructions - Will I be any good at platforming games when I can't see a thing? Only one way to find out.
• £300 - Purple Hair Dying - What would I look like with bright purple hair? There's only one way I'm ever going to know - donate enough, and I'll dye my hair for charity.
• £350 - Stupid Dancing to Lionel Richie's All Night Long - Dancing makes me very anxious. Dancing on camera to this pop classic for a good cause? Let's do it, because you know... All Night Long.
• £400 - Habanero Chilli Challenge - I will eat a Habanero chilli (100,000–350,000 Scoville units) and talk about the game I'm playing until I either pass out or have to drink milk. This was very much inspired by https://www.youtube.com/user/HotPepperGaming.
• £450 - YOU DECIDE!
• £500!!! - YOU DECIDE!