Power of Play Fundraising Challenge

Whether you host a costume contest, throw a party at your local game store, donate sales from your online shop, or put your community’s skills to the test with a Mario Kart tournament, your fundraising efforts will ensure that kids facing fear, loneliness, and anxiety related to their medical treatments have a chance to do what they do best — play. 

Why? Because happy kids heal faster! 

Host an Online Fundraiser 

Get started today by creating a Power of Play fundraiser! Visit our Fundraising FAQs for additional instructions on creating an online fundraising page. Once your page is ready to go, you can share this on social media, invite others to join a fundraising team, and so much more. 

Check out Starlight’s Resource Center for shareable graphics, Starlight Kid stories, and more! 

PRO TIP: Get started even faster by creating a fundraiser on Instagram or Facebook! 

Celebrate Mar10 Day with Stream For Starlight 

Are you a content creator or streamer? Sign up for our most playful Stream For Starlight campaign of the year, where you can join 100+ other online creators as we deliver happiness to hospitalized kids! 

Kick off Mario Day (March 10) with us to celebrate Starlight’s 30+ year partnership with Nintendo or join any time throughout the month of March to be part of this play-powered fundraiser. 

PRO TIP: Join Starlight's Discord channel to connect with our awesome community of streamers and stay up to date on S4S happenings! 

Make it Competitive  

Fundraising is even more fun together! Choose a day for the festivities (like Mario Day!) or fundraise all month long by joining forces with other fans to drive donations through friendly competition.  

• Tournaments: Organize a game tournament and require a small donation to participate.  

• Team Fundraising: Set up a team fundraising page, then coordinate with other individuals or communities and use the team page’s leaderboard to see who can raise the most. 

PRO TIP: Did you know you can fund a Starlight Nintendo Switch Gaming Station for a hospital in your community? By working as a team, you can supercharge your fundraiser and deliver thousands of hours of play with Starlight Gaming! 

Collaborate With a Local Business 

By working with a local business, vendor, or an independent seller who shares your passion for play, you can reach even more people in your community! Ask your local game store, bowling alley, mini golf park, arcade, or other community-favorite establishment to support in one of these ways: 

• Point of Sale: Donate a portion of product sales during a set time period — trading cards, comic books, video games, and collectibles are all great options! This is a fun way to give back on fan-driven holidays like Mario Day. 

• General Donations: Display a sign featuring a QR code linking to your fundraiser at the business or ask for their support in sharing your fundraiser on social media. Take this to the next level by giving a promotional item to folks who donate, like a company sticker, pen, or magnet. 

PRO TIP: Asking a business for support isn’t easy, but we're here to help! Download our donation request template and add your personal touch before sending to your selected businesses. 

Fundraise at an Event 

Whether you host an event, have a booth at a convention, or organize a livestream, events are a great way to collect donations in a fun and engaging way. Here are a few ideas: 

• Giveaways: Request a donation of any size in exchange for a chance to win a prize. Choose prizes that will excite your fellow fans like gift cards, tickets, toys, collectible items, and more! 

• Incentives: Offer donors special content, game codes, or other digital items to encourage more donations. Whether it’s a custom coloring book or an online perk, this is an easy way to attract small but mighty donations! 

• Auctions: Contact a beloved brand, independent artisan, or other individual who may be willing to donate a high value item that you can use for an auction. Please contact our team at donations@starlight.org to discuss how to host an auction! 

• Virtual Toy Drive*: Ask for donations of $25 to bring play to hospitalized kids through Starlight Toy Deliveries, which provides kids with toys, books, games, and so much more! 

PRO TIP: Don’t forget to let us know you’re hosting an event! We cannot guarantee attendance, but our team would love to see how we can support. 

*Due to health and safety precautions with our hospital partners, we do not facilitate traditional toy drives. A virtual toy drive allows Starlight to deliver new, age-appropriate, hospital-safe toys that are specifically requested by hospitals. 

Be a Year-Round Advocate 

Do you own a small business? Do you attend many conventions or social events? Are you a content creator, or a social media manager for a larger fan group?  

Delivering the power of play [hyperlink to Power of Play general page] to hospitalized kids year-round is a great way to support kids through every season. Become an advocate for Starlight’s mission by connecting with us today.

Check out some of our superstar fundraisers that take play very seriously!