NFL star JuJu Smith-Schuster holds gaming camp at Nerd Street’s Localhost

FULLERTON, Calif. -- NFL star JuJu Smith-Schuster held a video game camp, Camp JuJu, at Nerd Street’s Southern California gaming venue, Localhost in Fullerton on Saturday. Fifty kids aged 9 to 13 attended the free camp to play Fortnite with Smith-Schuster. The event was organized by Smith-Schuster’s JuJu Foundation, a nonprofit "dedicated to the support of youth initiatives and lifting the spirits of those in need."

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“JuJu's influence and contributions to the local community is tremendous, and his desire to connect with kids through gaming is an important component of the mission,” Nerd Street Camps Director Ben Beaver said. “Video games, like traditional sports, have the power to unite individuals from diverse backgrounds and offer people new opportunities and career paths. Working alongside the JuJu Foundation has been a privilege, and we are thrilled to welcome them back for a second year of camp with us.”

Photo credit: Nerd Street

The event was one of a series of gaming camps being held this summer at Nerd Street’s Localhost venues to support kids who are looking for fun and engaging summer camps geared toward video games and technology. Nerd Street has six Localhost gaming venues across the country from Philadelphia to Fullerton. Each location is outfitted with dozens of high-end gaming PCs, high-speed internet connections and the latest generation of consoles, including PS5, Xbox and the Nintendo Switch.

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Camp Localhost is Nerd Street’s in-house summer camp series. The Philadelphia Union, Play-Well TEKnologies and the Uncommon Individual Foundation are just a few of the organizations that are holding summer camps at Localhost this summer.

Smith-Schuster, who won the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs last season and signed with the New England Patriots in the offseason, dropped into Localhost on Saturday morning amid a series of events being held by the JuJu Foundation in Southern California.

Photo credit: Nerd Street

“This event, it means everything. I think I'm one of the only athletes to actually have a gaming camp, and it means a lot for me to come back every year with these kids who love to play video games,” Smith-Schuster said. “I think it's really nice that I'm able to share a passion that I have with kids that can relate in the same way.”

Read more: The best events and tournaments at Localhost in June

On Friday night, Smith-Schuster held a football camp and unveiled a new weight room at his alma mater, Long Beach Poly High School. After playing Fortnite at Localhost on Saturday morning, the former USC football star hosted his annual charitable fundraiser, the Trojan Legends Luau.

This was the second year in a row that Smith-Schuster has partnered with Nerd Street to hold Camp JuJu at Localhost.

Photo credit: Nerd Street

“Competitive video games create the same life and educational opportunities as sports, but unfortunately many kids don’t have access to the equipment needed to compete,” Nerd Street CEO John Fazio said. “Our venues fix this problem and allow anyone to affordably take advantage of all the opportunities gaming and esports have to offer. As a pro athlete and a gamer who once had to drag his console and TV to his grandmother’s house just to get internet, JuJu understands the need for this type of offering better than most, and I’m proud to have him not only supporting us, but also rolling up his sleeves and running his own camp out of our venue.”

Lead photo credit: Nerd Street