For 13-year-old Riley Dinsmore, who was diagnosed with a progressive form of cancer, his biggest wish was to have his very own arcade full of vintage video games from the ’80s and ’90s.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in the US that arranges experiences described as "wishes" to children diagnosed with critical illnesses and it was determined to grant the young gamer his wish of having an arcade room and contacted local arcade distributors for assistance. Betson was among the few companies who responded to help with this dream for Riley.
“To be able to help this young man’s wish become reality is something we are thankful for. Everyone at Betson hopes the game room brings Riley, his family and friends a lot of joy,” said Robert Geschine, president of Betson Enterprises.
Riley’s wish was fulfilled, as the 13-year-old’s basement in Ticonderoga, New York, US was transformed into a personal game room highlighted by three fully restored video games – a 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a 1991 original Simpsons, and a 1992 original Mortal Kombat. Betson came through with two 2010 games, that look and feel retro but play new – Pac-Man’s Pixel Bash and Arcade Legends 3. “I’ve always loved collecting retro games, and I’ve always been a huge gamer, ” said Riley.
Betson’s Syracuse branch manager, Dave Reiners (second from the right), alongside his wife, Elaine attended Riley’s wish reveal.
