Tucked away in the southeast corner of Lehi, a local gaming store with a passion for supporting local education is bringing the community together for face to face connection.
On March 21, Game Grid Lehi will host its annual Alpine Gaming Convention, a fundraiser benefiting gaming clubs at high schools throughout northern Utah County.
Joseph Hanks, purchasing manager at Game Grid, said the all-day event draws around 120 participants and features a wide range of tabletop role-playing games, board games, and trading card games.
“There's a lot of schools nearby that have board game clubs that want to run events like this, and so we're giving them the opportunity to come around and share the games they love with their friends and family—just kind of in a more structured environment,” he said.
The daylong charity event is free to attend and includes a plethora of activities such as gaming sessions, raffle drawings, and a section for trading card games; including their junior super series of games such as Pokémon, Lorcana, & Magic: The Gathering. 10% of revenue generated from the gaming convention will go towards gaming clubs at local schools.
The Alpine Gaming Convention had been annually until 2020, when it took a hiatus due to gathering concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hanks said they brought it back in the spring of 2025.
While the event is not directly connected with the Alpine School District, Hanks said students from Lehi High and several other schools within the district have some involvement in the gaming convention, with game club members volunteering to teach games.
Although a majority of attendees at the gaming convention tends to be high school students, Hanks said the event is open to all who want to participate.
“It's open to basically whoever wants to come and play,” he said. “We'll get some people coming to play with their kids and then some people teaching games that are a little bit heftier; but it really depends on the crowd we get.”
Game Grid Lehi is the largest retail gaming store in Utah County. Their card game inventory includes fan favorites such as Pokemon, Lorcana, Magic the Gathering, in addition to a broad spectrum of board games suitable for teens, couples or the entire family.
With more than 7,000 square feet of retail space, Game Grid Lehi hosts weekly and special events centered around popular trading cards and board games that bring people together to share their enthusiasm and engage in competition.
“We're a fairly community focused store, because we found that when we focus on the community, that they'll reciprocate,” Hanks said.
Game Grid Lehi aims to provide the community with “Good Games, Good People and Good Fun”, as stated on its website.
Hanks believes events like the Alpine Gaming Convention fosters interaction amongst community members with similar interests in ways that differ from a normal conversation.
“Games can bridge gaps in ways that I don't think other activities can very well. It also gives the game clubs a chance to show off what they've been doing,” he said.
The Alpine Gaming Convention will be held on March 21st from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Game Grid Lehi, located at 400 South Millpond Drive, Suite F.
More information can be found on their website, gg.lehi.com, and social media platforms.
“We're giving them the opportunity to come around and share the games they love with their friends and family.”
“Games can bridge gaps in ways that I don't think other activities can very well.”