After a year’s hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Oz-Con (Ozarks Gaming Convention) returns as an online event April 23-25.

The gaming, cosplay and anime convention will raise money for the Child Advocacy Center in West Plains.

Organizers with Missouri State University-West Plains’ (MSU-WP) Computer Graphics and Programming (CGP) Department and student chapter of Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) are inviting gaming, comic and anime enthusiasts of all ages to join them online.

Those who attend virtually will have the opportunity to visit with representatives from the gaming community, as well as vendors, authors and celebrities of the industry, organizers said.

“The team took much into consideration when making this decision, including the health of our attendees and vendors, the possibility of our venue extending the restrictions on trade shows, and the limited availability of special guests and vendors for in-person offerings,” organizer CJ Collins said.

Donations appreciated

Although attendance is free, donations for the Child Advocacy Center would be appreciated. All donations will go to the center, organizers said.

Donations can be made through the “Events” page on the Child Advocacy Center’s website, ChildAdvocacyCenter.org, or through MSU-WP. More information about donating to the center can be found on the Oz-Con website, Oz-Con.com.

Collins said items donated by area businesses also will be given away during Oz-Con. Proceeds from the giveaways also will go to the Child Advocacy Center.

The Child Advocacy Center’s mission is twofold: serving the needs of abused and neglected children in southwest and south-central Missouri and providing education to break abuse cycles and ultimately prevent child abuse in our region, they added.

The Child Advocacy Center currently serves 16 counties in the region.

For more information about the virtual conference, visit the Oz-Con Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/OzCon/; follow on Twitter @OzConWP; or visit the official website, oz-con.com.