GFGC friends and family,
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I write here today to share the news that long-time GFGC member, contributor, and friend, Sean Byrne is no longer with us. Following a long and lengthy battle with mental illness, he unfortunately took his own life on December 2nd, 2022.
Better known by many in our community by his online aliases BasementNinja and Eudemonic, Sean was an integral part of our community for many years. Many may remember Sean from his time as a long-time chat moderator for our ROBLOXathon events in our earlier days, helping to keep the chat safe and fun for everyone. Sean is also well remembered for his deep technical expertise, which was absolutely critical in helping us get our first website off of the ground. Above all else though, Sean is remembered by those who knew him for being an incredible and caring friend, who always sought to put others above himself and do whatever it took to put a smile on the faces of those around him.
One of GFGC’s most memorable moments with Sean was when he attended ROBLOXathon: Life in 2015. Although many members of the GFGC community would follow in his footsteps in subsequent years, Sean was the first to make the trip and attend one of our events live and in person. Over the four days of that event, we laughed together, played games together, and made a difference together. Meeting a long-time online friend in person for the first time was nothing short of life-changing for me, and it’s a memory of Sean I personally will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life.
Although his presence within our community diminished in the later years, Sean’s passion for GFGC never faltered. He always believed in the impact we were able to have on the world and wanted to help out in any way he could. In his own words:
“Ever since I was little, I have always wanted to help others in need. From giving leftover food and money to the homeless, to just sitting with the kids at lunch who have no one else to sit with. I’ve never been able to make a big impact on the world myself, but with the community that GFGC has, that is surely a possibility in the near future. GFGC has impacted thousands of people in need, and I look forward to helping GFGC grow so it may help thousands more.”
With the personal blessing of his family, we have decided to hold this summer’s Nintendothon Kingdom event in Sean’s memory. We hope you’ll join us in helping pay tribute to our lost friend and family member this summer.
Sean touched the hearts of all in our community who knew him, and I believe I speak on behalf of all of us that he will be dearly missed by all.
-Jared
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