Eau Claire Dungeons & Dragons fundraiser raises money for MS research

More than $20,000 has already flowed from Eau Claire’s Dungeons & Dragons & MS Donations fundraiser to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, giving the weekend event a track record that goes well beyond a one-off charity night. What started as a local table-top gathering at The Brewing Projekt has become a third-annual fundraiser with vendors, food trucks, a silent auction and full D&D play built around a cause that matters deeply to organizer Jordan Manley.

Manley’s connection to the work is personal. She started playing Dungeons & Dragons after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2015, and she learned the game from her brother. That path, from patient to player to organizer, has helped turn a hobby known for sprawling campaigns and long-running groups into a real-world support network for MS research. The fundraiser has now drawn hundreds of D&D fans, showing that the pull of the game can be social, not just imaginative.

The 2026 edition was held Saturday, April 25, at The Brewing Projekt in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and the event materials described it as the third annual Dungeons & Dragons & MS Donations fundraiser. Vendors were scheduled from noon to 6 p.m., and local listings added food trucks, a silent auction, TTRPG games and other ways to donate. The structure made the day feel less like a single gaming table and more like a compact convention with a charitable purpose, with one-shot sessions run by seasoned Dungeon Masters to make it easy for newcomers and veterans to drop in.

That accessibility appears to be part of the formula. The inaugural 2024 event was billed with seven to eight tables, including two beginner-friendly tables, and two play windows, from 1 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m. The event has since grown into a recurring fixture, and Manley said this year marked the group’s third annual fundraiser since it began in spring 2024. That kind of steady return is what makes the model notable: a familiar game, a local venue, low-barrier one-shots, and a cause that gives every table a purpose.

Event materials also note that Dungeons & Dragons & MS Donations is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast, a useful clarification for readers who may assume a company-backed program. It is a grassroots community project instead, and its success suggests something sturdy: when D&D brings people in, a well-run charity event can turn that enthusiasm into repeatable support for a cause that reaches far beyond the game table.