Sandy Hook Arcade Center opens to try and heal Newtown with games
After Sandy Hook, some people once again tried to blame video games for the tragedy. Video games obviously weren’t the cause, but they could be a point of healing for the Newtown community. The Sandy Hook Arcade Center will be full of kid-friendly and family friendly lighthearted video and arcade games, without a single plastic gun in sight.
Co-founders Andrew Clure and Scott Cicciari, who have each called Newtown home for more than a decade, came up with the idea because they both love pinball. When they reached out to contacts in the arcade industry and the local community, “the response was tremendous,” said Clure.
“For us this is not a business,” he added, “it’s simply our commitment as parents and residents to promote one of the core values in Newtown — family.”
According to Cicciari, putting the arcade together has given him and Clure a “renewed faith in the goodness of people.” Small businesses in Newtown and companies from across the country, along with local residents and officials, have contributed to the arcade. It will feature analog and digital games, including Kinect titles, pinball and air hockey.
The arcade will be a not-for-profit organization, not a business. Admission fees from non-local customers and donations will be put toward running the arcade, and the proprietors will donate any leftover funds to the town. Newtown residents will always be able to play for free.
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