Coding game show competitors tackle travel challenges for Make-A-Wish clients
NORTH TEXAS — We use our phones for various things, sometimes to post silly photos or videos or simply play games.
But a new online game show is trying to use technology to help people who haven't been dealt the best hand in life, and some hope what these coders come up with will help make some wishes come true.
"The Ultimate Coding Championship is an elite software engineering competition that brings together top engineers to compete head-to-head in order to solve some of the world's most significant challenges," said Julian Placino, the producer of the Ultimate Coding Championship.
These three coders are competing for the title and $5,000.
But they're not trying to create the next billion-dollar app. It's a little more wholesome.
"At the end of the day, we're all thinking about our loved ones and how we can, you know, solve a problem for them and expand it to other people who also have those same feelings or problems as well," said Hamdi Hmimy, one of the contestants.
Hmimy and the other competitors are tasked with designing an app for a very special client, Make-A-Wish North Texas.
The goal is to lessen the burden for Make-A-Wish clients who travel in wheelchairs.
"Thinking through all different aspects of traveling, it's not just, 'Oh, I'm going to go to the airport and get on a plane and go to my destination,'" said Meredith Clements, a wish designer for Make-A-Wish North Texas, and someone who helped motivate Hmimy to take his app a step further.
"You can think of it as an assistant that helps give knowledge to whoever, that's going to be in a wheelchair to essentially create an itinerary for when they're going to fly, where they want to go and stay if—it's a hotel, Airbnb. They also enjoy it when they actually get to that location. So not just helping them get to where they want to be, but also helping them find a fun place that is going to be accessible for them," he said.
Which might be the reason he won and took home that check for $5,000. But Hmimy says the victory is about more than money.
"If you can help somebody, you know, make them smile or make their life a little bit easier, especially when they're a relative or very close to you. I think that's the best feeling in the world," said Hmimy.
"This is such a difficult journey for them and their family. And so to be a bright spot in a challenging day or a challenging week or challenging year, whatever that timeframe may be, we're able to be that light and hope and joy" said Clements.
You can watch episode three of The Ultimate Coding Championship on YouTube, and if you want to donate to Make-A-Wish North Texas, just visit their website.