Meeple in your Neighbourhood – Ali Thompson
For many people, tabletop gaming is about fun, strategy, and spending time with friends. For Ali Thompson, it has also become a meaningful way to give back to her community. Her involvement with Play with Your Food blends her lifelong love of games with her professional skills, creative passion, and commitment to volunteer work.
Ali’s path to Play With Your Food began through friendship. After seeing PwYF founder and “fearless leader” Chelsea Steenbock share posts about the organization throughout the year, Chelsea reached out to ask whether Ali might be interested in making a donation from her business. Ali didn’t hesitate, she donated! She also offered to photograph the organization’s flagship event, the annual 24-hour board gaming marathon. At the time, she admits, she didn’t fully know what she was signing up for.
That changed the moment she arrived.
“I showed up last March and immediately knew I needed to truly get involved,” she recalls. The energy in the room was unmistakable, tables filling with games, volunteers bustling about, and participants settling in for a full day and night of play in support of a good cause. Within the first hour, Ali was already texting her husband, brimming with excitement. They had to be part of this next year.
“The electricity in the air at that event really sealed the deal for me,” she says. “It’s one of those ‘you have to be there to experience it’ moments. Seeing everyone’s hard work come together in such an incredible way is truly magical.”
Although she has officially participated in just one PwYF event so far, Ali laughs that the organization is “stuck with her now.” Volunteer work and non-profit involvement have always been important to her, and Play With Your Food offered a perfect opportunity to put her education and professional experience to work in a way that benefits the wider community. Whether through photography, storytelling, or behind-the-scenes support, she’s happy to contribute however she can.
Ali’s connection to games runs deep. She’s been playing board games for most of her life, with some of her earliest memories involving sitting on her grandfather’s lap while the adults played Balderdash. As she and her siblings grew older, games became a cornerstone of family time. About a decade ago, she and her husband dove more seriously into modern tabletop games together.
Today, gaming remains a shared ritual between the two of them. Living in Lumsden, after growing up in Moose Jaw and moving there nearly 18 years ago, they often play just the two of them, as many close friends and family live in other towns and cities. As a result, Ali has developed a fondness for two-player and cooperative games, especially those with charming artwork and adorable animal themes.
“In a world that’s a mess even on a good day, games are a way to escape,” she says. “What better way to do this than with games featuring adorable art and cute animals!”
Outside of gaming and volunteering, Ali leads a busy and creative life. She owns Ali Lauren Creative Services, where she works as a photographer and freelance writer, and also holds a full-time role as Communications and Marketing Manager with the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan. At home, she and her husband share their cozy valley house with a lively collection of rescue pets. When she’s not working, gaming, or volunteering, she’s usually reading or taking university classes purely for the joy of learning.
For Ali, Play With Your Food represents the best of everything she values: community, creativity, generosity, and fun. “Being able to give back while having an amazing time doing it,” she says, “that’s what makes it so special.”
And for anyone lucky enough to attend a PwYF event, her enthusiasm is infectious, proof that sometimes, the most meaningful connections start with rolling dice, dealing the cards and sitting down at the table together.
