Downtown video game store, Rare Drops, prepares for an upcoming video game tournament this weekend.

Rare Drops’ tournament starts on Saturday Oct. 3 at 4 p.m.

The tournament could last anywhere between 4 to 6 hours depending on how many participants are at the store.

The tournament is $6 a participant. A Facebook event for the tournament has 30 people registered to attend, but Rare Drops is expecting an additional 5 to 10 people.

Rare Drops has different video game tournaments frequently. However, this is the 1st video game tournament that will donate all of the proceeds to a charity. Rare Drops will be donating proceeds to Contact, the Marshall University Women’s Center. Contact provides services for rape victims.

Rare Drops owner, Baxter Mallory, 47, said he was looking forward to the tournament and is eager to give back to and help the community.

“It’s one of the ways we can give back and everyone can still have fun,” Mallory said.

Mallory said he wanted to keep the proceeds in Huntington to help the community with an issue that is of high concern.

Junior Creative Writing major, Ginger Jackson, is currently interning for Rare Drops. Jackson said she has a strong desire to help rape victims and said she knows some victims personally.

“I hope it goes well,” Jackson said. “We have a lot of support from the store and the tournament is also a part of a women’s study for my class.”

Both Mallory and Jackson thought a video game tournament would be a good idea because they can include all ages and all members of the community, from students to residents of the city.

Mallory discussed a national study that took place last week announcing that 1 in 10 women in college are assaulted every day and most go unreported.

Mallory said he feels this is a timely subject and hopes he can provide a comfortable situation for an uncomfortable subject with the tournament.

“It gives everybody a chance to shed off unhappy and gather proceeds for a great charity,” Mallory said.

The night will consist of refreshments, conversations and fun games. Rare Drops’ goal is to make everyone feel comfortable and share different experiences as well as enjoy themselves while playing video games.

Cadi Duplaga can be contacted at [email protected].