Keep COVID-19 in Check; Teaching Chess to Provide Meals for Those in Need

I hope this message finds you well. My brothers and I (all USCF titled players) recently began a fundraiser for organizations that have been debilitated by the COVID-19 outbreak. We have been teaching and playing chess for many years and in exchange for every $40 donation to the charity, we provide a one-hour online chess lesson. In the first few weeks of our fundraiser, “Keep COVID-19 in Check”, we have raised over $3000 for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Feeding America, the Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospitals. For the food banks, we have provided enough funding for nearly 20,000 meals.

Almost three weeks ago, I messaged over 100 GMs and other titled players through Chess.com, asking for support and donations. The first response I received was from GM Aleksandr Lenderman, who said that he would be willing to give a one-hour lesson as a part of our fundraiser. This inspired us to begin thinking about having a “GM/IM/WGM of the Week”, where the highest donor each week will receive a complimentary lesson from the titled player (GM Lenderman is the first feature player of the week). I also received responses from other titled players, including GM Checa, GM Hellsten, GM Pap, GM Smerdon, IM Golichenko, IM Turzo, WGM Shahade, and many more who will all be volunteering to teach as part of the fundraiser.

Just a few days ago, we launched a fundraiser for the national organization, Feeding America, a nationwide network of 200 food banks that helps provide food for people in need across the United States.

The combination of a national charity and a "GM of the week" feature would be a great way to raise money on a national scale to help alleviate the hardships from COVID-19. In addition, we believe that it would be a great representation of what the chess community is capable of doing. We believe that the chess community can band together to help others, and this is why we are running this fundraiser. Would you be interested in receiving lessons, supporting, or sharing this initiative?

Here is an article that WGM Shahade wrote about us on US Chess:

https://new.uschess.org/news/keeping-covid-check-keuchel-brothers-raise-money-cleveland-food-banks/

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions.

Thank you,

NM coocloo

Links to our current fundraisers:

Feeding America: http://help.feedingamerica.org/goto/KeepCOVID-19inCheck

Greater Cleveland Food Bank: www.GreaterClevelandFoodBank.org/KeepCOVID19inCheck