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PAX East Enforcer Dawn 'Deestar' Wood dies after contracting Covid at the event

The PAX East community lost a valuable member with the passing of Dawn Wood.

Donovan Erskine

May 3, 2022 11:20 AM

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This past weekend, Dawn ‘Deestar’ Wood passed away a week after PAX East, which she attended as an Enforcer. A longtime member of the PAX East enforcer crew, Wood was a valuable member of the community.

Dawn ‘Deestar’ Wood’s family started a GoFundMe campaign following her passing this weekend, in which they shine more light on the situation.

The GoFundMe campaign reached its goal in just a day, but is still live if you’re interested in providing support for Woods’ family during this time. The money is going to her mother, so that she can pay for Deestar’s funeral as well as other necessary expenses.

As an Enforcer since 2014, Dawn ‘Deestar’ Wood worked to ensure that the event was a safe and enjoyable experience for all. This included planning, coordinating day-to-day operations, and ensuring that attendees were following the rules set in place by the organizers.

PAX East was one of the first gaming events to return to an in-person format during the pandemic, along with GDC earlier this year.

We here at Shacknews are saddened by the news of her passing and extend our well wishes to Deestar’s family and friends during this difficult time.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_