An Orangevale youth is channeling his passion for video games into a fundraising effort to help families grappling with serious illness.

Austin Young, 18, knows what it is like to experience a life-threatening illness. The Bella Vista High School senior lost much of his vision due to retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer, when he was 6 months old. During the past year, he has waged a second battle with cancer, this time in a salivary gland, said his mother, Bonnie Young.

Over the years, Austin Young and his family have found solace in a home away from home at the Koret Family House as he underwent treatment at the University of California, San Francisco, Benioff Children's Hospital. Video games available at Family House helped pass the time, but Young said the game consoles are outdated and need to be replaced.

The desire to give back to those who have helped him led Young to found Gaming for a Cause, a nonprofit organization that seeks to raise money for charity through video-gaming tournaments.

About 30 high school students participated in an event Jan. 28 at Bella Vista High School. On Feb. 11, Young and friends will launch monthly tournaments, open to the public, at Fuddruckers restaurant in Citrus Heights.

"We have a (video gaming) club at my high school and a lot of personal friends help out at the tournaments," Young said.

Money raised from the tournaments initially will go toward replacing the Family House video game equipment.

Family House operates two residences providing nightly lodging, free of charge, for up to 34 families. Paul Goold, director of operations, estimated that upgrading equipment in the five TV areas will cost about $6,000.

Family House is supported by foundations and private donations. It receives no money from government or the hospital, Goold said.

Lodging at Family House is available to families of children 18 and younger who are undergoing treatment at the hospital and who live at least 50 miles from San Francisco.

It is not unusual for families served by Family House to want to give back in some way, Goold said. He said he often suggests that they provide needed supplies by holding food or pillow drives in their local community.

But a response like Young's is rare.

"I've been amazed by the tenacity with which he's taken this on," Goold said. "A person who was in need is now spreading the word."

Once enough money has been raised for new equipment at Family House, Young said his goal is to use the video-gaming tournaments to raise money for a variety of charitable causes.

But Gaming for a Cause is about more than raising money. "It's definitely been fun," Young said. "I enjoy watching everyone play at the tournaments and all my friends helping and seeing everyone work together."

The Feb. 11 tournament will begin at 7 p.m. at Fuddruckers, 5495 Sunrise Blvd. The entry fee is $20, and participation is limited to the first 120 people who sign up.

For registration information or to make a donation, see the website at www.gaming4acause.org, or email austin@gaming4acause.org.

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