DENTON (UNT), Texas — A dream two years in the making has become reality at Denton’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2205, thanks to a collaboration between the post and the University of North Texas.

“This gaming center will help save lives,” said Post Commander Tim Middleton, “I cannot stress how thankful we are to all our partners who helped make this happen.”

The idea took shape in 2022, when Middleton and VFW Service Officer Tim Qualls met with Jim Davenport, UNT’s director of veteran services and fellow VFW member. They were joined by Jessica Chapman, senior director of development with UNT Advancement. While initially discussing a campus endowment for veterans, the conversation shifted to how the VFW could better serve younger generations of veterans.

“I told them then that we needed to get ahead of this because gaming is the future, and we stand to be the first VFW to establish this,” Davenport said. “I had this crazy dream, and now it’s come true thanks to a lot of hard work from a lot of people.”

Inspired by a U.S. Department of Defense report on the benefits of gaming spaces, the post voted to create one of its own.

“We’ve seen that veterans are not walking into their local VFW. They’re feeling isolated and unsupported,” Middleton said. “Our Vietnam and Cold War vets wanted to create something that speaks to younger generations.”

Dylan Wray, assistant director of UNT’s Esports program, guided the post through every step — from equipment recommendations to campus tours.

“Dylan’s patience was Herculean,” Middleton said. “These are guys in their 70s and 80s with a thousand questions.”

Wray also made accessibility suggestions and helped ensure the right setup for long-term success.

“I didn’t serve, but both my grandfathers did,” Wray said. “It meant a lot to me to help and to share what I know.”

Chapman promoted the project to university and community leaders, building awareness and support. Additional help came from Regiment Gaming, an esports group in Plano focused on supporting veterans. The project also received support from the city of Denton, the Denton Chamber of Commerce and EGA Construction, a veteran-owned company that built the room in just two months.

“Gaming has a way of keeping people connected when everything else feels far away,” said Mario Pena, assistant quartermaster at the post and a business administration graduate student at UNT. In his role, he helps manage the post’s finances and operations.

“When I came home from being stationed in Japan, it was 3 a.m. and I hopped on Xbox to play with a buddy who was still overseas. I sent him a quick message to join me. Years later, he told me that invite came at a time when he was in a really dark place. That’s the kind of impact gaming can have — that’s how powerful that connection can be, even when you’re miles apart.”

The new space features 10 state-of-the-art computers, with plans to add consoles and virtual reality gaming soon. The post has already hosted its first tournament.

“We are transforming the VFW’s perspective on gaming,” Middleton said. “And we couldn’t have done it without the input from our partners at UNT.”