The Spirit of Fundraising with the Ghostbusters Fan Community
Across the country, hundreds of hospitalized kids feel fear, anxiety, and uncertainty about their medical condition. They need comfort, joy, and happiness to persevere through difficult treatments and procedures.
In times of fear, who are kids gonna call?
The Los Angeles Ghostbusters!
As a group united by a “love of geeky fandoms”, each member recognizes the importance of finding happiness through social connectedness and shared entertainment. Since 2021, the Los Angeles Ghostbusters (LAGB) have raised over $40,000 to gift connectedness and entertainment to hospitalized kids all over the country! They have also recruited even more fan groups to fundraise with them, eventually coming together to fund Starlight’s first Ghostbusters-themed Hospital Gown.
Starlight is proud to work with fan groups like the LAGB to channel their enthusiasm, passion, and creativity to deliver happiness to hospitalized kids. Fan groups transport kids out of the hospital and into iconic worlds through video games, books, toys, character-themed hospital gowns, and more.
The Los Angeles Ghostbusters have partnered with Starlight since 2021, when they saw how Starlight’s mission aligned with their purpose to bring joy to kids and families through role-playing and ghostbusting antics.
“We are proud to be fundraising partners of Starlight Children's Foundation, with great affection for their similar mission of bringing happiness to the lives of seriously ill children and their families. Happiness is healing, emotionally for some and physically for others.”
- Jeremy Treat, Los Angeles Ghostbusters’ founding member
Sparking Support Throughout the Ghostbusters Fan Community
The Los Angeles Ghostbusters’ commitment to give back has driven them to pursue fundraising with creativity and purpose. In their own time, Los Angeles Ghostbusters represent Starlight at multiple events, conventions, and community activations. At these occasions, they host raffles, trivia, and silent auctions to excite fans while doing good through fundraising.
The funds that the LAGB raise gift comfort and joy through Starlight programs to hospitalized kids, enhancing their resilience through difficult treatments and procedures.
Rallying the Power of Fandom Community in Los Angeles
On November 13, 2021, the LAGB celebrated their newly created group with their first official fundraising event at Scum & Villainy Cantina in Hollywood, California!
Through themed drinks, trivia, and generous donations from artists and fans, the LAGB community raised over $13,000!
These donations gifted Starlight programs like Starlight Gaming Stations and Handhelds and Hero Wagons, which bring entertainment and opportunities to build connections with others. Not only that, but these programs also bring familiar aspects of a child’s home life into the hospital, easing kids’ anxiety about the unfamiliar setting.
Bringing Smiles and Slime to the Luskin Halloween Spooktacular
In partnership with Starlight, the Los Angeles Ghostbusters had the opportunity to be the crown jewel at the Luskin Orthopedic Institute for Children’s 2022 Halloween Spooktacular!
The LAGB brought Ecto mobiles, proton packs, and just the right amount of slime to immerse hospitalized kids in the Ghostbusters world. The LAGB also handed out Starlight Toy Deliveries for children to play with, which helped them process and express their emotions about their medical condition.
The partnership between the LAGB, Starlight, and Luskin helped inspire kids’ imaginations while distracting them from the pokes and pains of their regular treatments and procedures.
Creating the First Ghostbusters-themed Starlight Hospital Gown
After seeing their impact in action, the LAGB wanted to find a new and creative way to unite Ghostbusters fan groups nationwide while making a more direct impact on hospitalized kids.
The answer: Ghostbusters-themed Starlight Hospital Gowns!
The first ever Ghostbusters-themed gowns would simultaneously immerse children in the fun Ghostbusters’ universe while bringing comfort and alleviating anxiety.
To create this special edition hospital gown, the LAGB worked with Starlight and began fundraising in the fall of 2022.
The LAGB held their second annual anniversary celebration at Scum & Villainy and raised $8,500 towards their fundraising goal. The LAGB also activated other Ghostbusters groups around the country, and by March 2023, raised over $40,000 to fund 1,000 Ghostbusters-themed Hospital Gowns!
With the support of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Ghost Corps, Inc., the first Ghostbusters-themed Starlight Hospital Gowns were delivered in Los Angeles in 2023.
The Ghostbusters-themed hospital gowns were also delivered to many other hospitals, including some that care for medically underserved and vulnerable patients and in cities where Ghostbusters groups fundraised.
Ghostbusters groups saw first-hand the local impact of their hard work as well. Groups like the LAGB and the Sun Coast Ghostbusters got to hand-deliver the special edition gowns to hospitalized kids, along with some slime filled surprises!
Suiting-Up for the Future!
Now, the LAGB are suiting-up for their future endeavors with Starlight!
As they continue to fundraise at conventions and events, the LAGB are brainstorming creative ways to engage their network and raise more funds to fulfill Starlight’s mission – delivering happiness to hospitalized kids.
But even with the LAGB’s support, there’s still more work to be done.
There are hundreds of kids across the US who feel isolated, scared, and sad about their medical condition and hospitalization. A Starlight program can deliver kids the comfort and joy they need to enhance resilience, maintain a positive outlook, and ultimately create happiness.
Every child deserves to experience the happiness of a Starlight program.
We need your help to make our vision a reality!
