Starlight’s 2019 Annual Report Highlights

2019 was an exciting year for Starlight and it wouldn’t have been the same without donors like you. Find out what were our biggest accomplishments of the year—like announcing our newest iteration of Starlight Gaming—and read how Starlight’s programs are delivering happiness to seriously ill kids and their families across the country.

“I see our success reflected back in the faces of those we serve. I see a kid smiling while being administered medication because she is looking into a Starlight Virtual Reality headset and being distracted and delighted. I see a kid laughing with his brother while playing on a Starlight Gaming station before a medical procedure. I see comfort on the faces of parents and siblings, who know that their loved ones are being brightened by their Starlight experiences. I was able to see first-hand how the very best in gaming and other fun experiences can truly make a difference.”
-Adam Garone, CEO, Starlight Children’s Foundation

Our Impact

Evidence shows that improving the mental and social well-being of patients can have a positive impact on their physical health. Starlight programs are carefully designed with the input of medical staff, child life professionals, and the world’s top media and technology companies to ensure they entertain, distract, and inspire seriously ill children and their families.

Starlight Stories

Starlight Gaming

Starlight Gaming stations provide hospitalized children with hours of fun and distraction through their favorite Nintendo® video games and streaming movies and TV shows, right from the comfort of their hospital bed.

Last year, we delivered 48 Starlight Gaming stations to children at 38 facilities in the US.

Learn about Starlight Gaming.

Starlight Virtual Reality

Starlight VR is an engaging intervention through a customized, hospital-ready headset that helps decrease anxiety and pain for children.

In 2019, the second year of the program, we delivered 341 Starlight VR headsets to more than 135 hospitals in the US.

Learn about Starlight Virtual Reality.

Starlight Hospital Wear

Starlight Gowns are specially manufactured to meet the needs of hospitalized kids with ties on the side (instead of down the back) for comfort and modesty, plastic snaps on each shoulder that allow for easy access and use during medical procedures, and come in a variety of fun designs.

During 2019, we delivered 39,300 Starlight Gowns to more than 75 hospitals in the US.

Learn more about Starlight Hospital Wear.

Starlight Spaces

Starlight Spaces are spaces that are transformed into state-of-the-art, interactive, and relaxing environments that can be enjoyed by kids and their families—like playrooms, healing gardens, teen lounges and more.

In 2019, Starlight funded, completed, or broke ground on nine new or renovated spaces at nine children’s hospitals or health care facilities in the US.

Learn more about Starlight Spaces.

Starlight Deliveries

Starlight Deliveries offer our more than 800+ hospital and health care facility partners access to millions of dollars’ worth of donated toys, books, games, crafting materials, and other urgently needed products that deliver happiness to seriously ill children and their families.

Thanks to the generosity of our corporate partners, we delivered $2.8 million in toys, books, games, Radio Flyer wagons, and other cool stuff kids love to nearly 600 facilities in the US during 2019.

Learn more about Starlight Deliveries.

Donor Spotlight

Dave Koz & Fans

In 2019, Koz and his fans supported Starlight through a silent auction on two week-long cruises to the Australia, which provided Starlight VR to 100 children’s hospitals across the US. He also rounded out the year with a fan fundraising campaign during his annual holiday tour. In total, Dave and his fans have raised more than $1.3 million for Starlight.

Sheri Sobrato & Digging Deep Project

Digging Deep: A Journal for Young People Facing Health Challenges is a tool for clinicians to use with their teen and young adult patients. Since launching this partnership with Sheri Sobrato, more than 230 cases of the Digging Deep Project hardcopy journals have been distributed to over 135 hospital facilities. Plus, another 380 hospital partners have downloaded the digital journal in English and Spanish.

LiningUp.net

For the 20th year in a row, LiningUp.net, an organization formed of devoted Star Wars fans, camped outside of Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre to wait for the first public showing of Star Wars: Episode IX while raising funds for Starlight. Since the inaugural line, these fans have raised more than $100,000 to help deliver happiness to seriously ill kids and their families.

Stream For Starlight Spotlights

The8BitDrummer

Last year, in Starlight’s first-ever Stream For Starlight campaign, Jerod “The8BitDrummer” drummed song after song, without skipping a beat to raise $5,000 and place a Starlight Gaming station at MUSC Children’s Health in Charleston, S.C.

MeganPlays

Megan “MeganPlays’ Letter is a Roblox player on YouTube who participate in Stream For Starlight 2019. During her stream, her incredible community raised $5,000 to sponsor a Starlight Gaming station at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Forth Worth, Texas.

Financials & Awards

Thanks to the hard work and generosity of so many, 2019 was an incredible year for Starlight as we raised $12.3 million! Plus, for the fifth consecutive year, Starlight earned the coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

Governance & Board of Directors

We’re committed to the best governance practices, including transparency, accountability, and responsible financial management to ensure we achieve our mission of delivering happiness to seriously ill children.