Kids Helping Kids with Starlight Fundraisers
Every day we see kids bravely facing illness and injury with more courage in their hearts than any superhero! It should be no surprise, then, that some superstar kids have decided to do whatever they can to deliver happiness to children who are stuck in the hospital.
Starlight wants to celebrates these inspirational kids and all the work they do to give back to hospitalized kids. Check out some of the creative ways that kids have engaged their friends, families, and neighborhoods in support of our mission!
PLAY It Forward with Luke
Last October, Luke’s mom noticed a lump on the right side of his face, just above the ear. After a few months of testing and various procedures, he was diagnosed with Follicular Lymphoma, a slow growing cancer that affects white blood cells. We are so happy that Luke’s tumor has been removed and he is officially cleared from further treatment!
Luke doesn’t want other kids to miss out on the best parts of childhood because of a cancer diagnosis, so he’s giving back! With the help of his family, he’s raising money to place Starlight Nintendo Gaming stations and Virtual Reality at Levine Children’s Hospital, where he received his treatment. He created an online fundraiser with a goal of $20,000, and with the support of his friends and family, he is well on his way to reaching that goal!
"There are so many children that are not as lucky as Luke,” his mom, Susan, shared with us. “Being a kid can be hard sometimes, but being a sick kid is hard ALL the time. Luke is determined to help these kids."
Way to go, Luke!
Harper’s Lemonade Stand
During the COVID-19 pandemic, seven-year-old Harper and her brother Connor became huge fans of video games. One day while they were playing their favorite game, Roblox, Harper noticed that the game characters were hosting a lemonade stand. Being a super crafty and creative kid, Harper decided she had to host one of her own!
Harper’s mom, Tara, wanted her kids to learn the value of giving back, so she suggested Harper and Connor select a nonprofit to receive the proceeds from their lemonade sales. When they found out that Starlight can provide an hour of video games to a hospitalized kid for just $1, they immediately wanted to help.
Harper’s friends joined the party by pouring drinks, making signs, and standing by the street to encourage other neighbors to stop by. In just a couple of hours, Harper had sold out and had collected additional donations for Starlight. Even Connor dipped into his piggy bank to donate!
“We are so happy that we found such a wonderful organization to help and we hope to help more in the future,” Harper’s mom, Tara, told us.“ In fact, the kids want to add cookies and brownies for her next lemonade fundraiser to boost sales! I can’t tell you how surprised I was how many generous people gave $5, $10, or $20 for a cup of lemonade just to help support the cause.”
What started as some simple summer fun turned into a sold-out community fundraiser. Great work, Harper!
Jack Gives Back His Birthday
Jack is a spunky kid who loves karate, singing karaoke with his little sister and above all else, Star Wars Legos. As much as he loves playing with his toys, Jack’s mom, Jen, realized that most of his toys were only played with once or twice before being put away to collect dust.
“We celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, so Jack gets a lot of presents,” Jen said. “He is a really great, sweet and wonderful kid, but me and my husband, Royce, want to make sure he’s not spoiled, we want to keep him grounded.”
Before his birthday, Jen and Royce talked with Jack about the idea of asking for donations to help seriously ill and injured kids in the hospital instead of receiving gifts. They explained that not all kids his age are lucky enough to be healthy and have so many fun toys to play with. Jack immediately wanted to help!
Jack had an awesome birthday bowling party celebrating with his friends and enjoyed his Star Wars cake, all while raising money to support Starlight kids.
“I feel like it’s a very accessible way for any parent to do something like this,” Jen said. “I fortunately don’t have a child in the hospital, but the message of giving back, and enhancing your kid’s birthday, is an easy way for others to give back.”
Fundraise Your Way!
Hosting a fundraiser with your kids is a great way to have some family fun while delivering happiness to seriously ill kids! There are so many ways to fundraise with Starlight, so check out our Resource Center for some helpful tips and tricks on how to fundraise your way. If you need additional support, we’re here to help! Email us today at donations@starlight.org.
