Valhallan Teams Up with Autism Speaks to Make Esports Accessible to All

We are proud to announce that Valhallan is now an official sponsor of Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy group, to raise money and awareness, and create autism-friendly environment for esports. 

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Since our founding, Valhallan has been driven by the desire to create an inclusive, supportive environment for esports players from all walks of life. Autism Speaks — the nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with autism through research, advocacy, programs, and services— has officially teamed up with Valhallan. Through this relationship, Valhallan will raise awareness and funds for Autism Speaks while creating inclusive opportunities for children and adults with autism to participate in esports.

“As a father of an autistic child, one of the biggest challenges is to find social situations where my son feels comfortable, and Valhallan creates an environment where kids of all backgrounds can connect through their common interests,” said Matt Phillips, Valhallan Brand President. “We’re proud to be teaming up with Autism Speaks to continue to make a difference in the lives of children and adults with autism as we make esports accessible to all.”

As part of our commitment, Valhallan arenas will have the opportunity to achieve an Autism Friendly Designation – the first of its kind in esports. Additionally, we will donate one dollar per month per player, to further the mission of Autism Speaks. We’ll also raise funds through events such as esports tournaments and participation in official Autism Speaks Walks.

To kick this off, our “Rise to Ragnarök” competition, the first of our annual Ragnarök youth esports tournament series, will feature free entry for 4,000 players, and provide gamers of all backgrounds and abilities the opportunity to compete while raising funds for Autism Speaks.

“This is just one aspect of how we plan to implement the Valhallan mission. As we grow, we’ll be expanding our support to charities within our community that represent our values as an organization and the values of the individuals that play on Valhallan teams,” says Phillips.  

As Valhallan continues to open arenas in multiple countries, we are creating more spaces and communities for youth players from a variety of backgrounds. Each location will be working toward an official Autism Friendly designation through training that covers autism awareness and strategies for providing first-in-class inclusive service for customers. We are also committed to continuing creating employment opportunities for adults with autism and other disabilities.

“Deeply ingrained in Autism Speaks mission is a commitment to creating a more equitable and accessible world. We’re excited to be working with Valhallan as they share our passion for this vision,” said Keith Wargo, President & CEO, Autism Speaks. “With Valhallan’s support and dedication to fostering understanding and acceptance of children on the spectrum, we are building a brighter tomorrow where all people with autism can reach their full potential.”

We’ve wasted no time getting involved.  Before we were able to make an official announcement, we participated in the Autism Speaks Walk 2022 in both Houston on October 22 and Charlotte on October 29.

Interested in getting involved? More information on Valhallan and how to inquire about franchise opportunities nationwide is available at valhallan.com/franchise, and valhallan.com/franchise-UK for the U.K. Interested parties can also contact franchise@valhallan.com to learn more.

More information about Autism Speaks is available at https://www.autismspeaks.org/.

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