Running Miles, Delivering Smiles
Since Starlight became the official celebrated charity for the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by CORKCICLE in 2022, Team Starlight, its charity race team, has participated in multiple runDisney events, running over 4,500 miles coast-to-coast to deliver happiness to hospitalized kids across the US.
Team Starlight is all about having fun while doing good!
Check out the impact we’ve made since starting in 2022:
6 races
$300K+ raised
275+ runners
350+ fundraisers
3000+ donations
Can't Stop, Won't Stop
Why We Run
Charity runners fundraise to place Starlight programs, including Disney-themed Starlight Hospital Gowns and Pants, at over 800 hospitals in the US. Fear and anxiety can turn into comfort and joy when kids put on gowns with familiar and favorite characters.
A few of our runners saw this impact firsthand with their loved ones. Here’s why they run:
Tylyn’s Medical Journey
“I was a child who spent a good bit of time in the hospital. The things that would make the difference during those stays were the things that made me smile. A game to play with my siblings, wearing gowns/pjs that made me more comfortable, having a visit from a group of clowns, being given something to play with or read, those are the items that made the hospital stays go by faster & helped me forget where I was. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 9 and there's nothing more terrifying than knowing your life will never be the same. Those little moments of joy are luckily what I remember now, rather than the fear. I want to make sure other children have those moments of joy.”
Cassidy’s Nephew Noah
“My nephew, Noah, had a surgery when he was 18 months old. He was at a hospital without Starlight resources or anything to make it feel less like a scary hospital. Even though he was so young, he had visceral memories of the fear, and it took doctors who believed that happy children can have better outcomes and better health that finally, four years later, he stopped panicking and being afraid. If he’d been at a hospital that had some of the Starlight programs in it, I know he’d have been less scared. I’ve seen it in the way he responds to care afterwards that did follow the Starlight mission.”
Aubrey’s Angel
“My cousin, Isabella, passed in 2018 from rhabdomyosarcoma. She was a kind and beautiful girl with the biggest heart. She had a smile that could light up any room. Even though I didn't see Isabella that often, we were able to play like we saw each other every day. I was able to talk Disney to her since she was a Disney-fanatic just like me. I think about her often as she is an angel above us now. I joined and ran for Team Starlight in the Disney Princess 5K for Isabella since she is my Disney Princess Angel. I always wanted to do something for kids struggling in the hospital and Team Starlight gave me the opportunity.”
The Team Starlight Experience
As a group, Team Starlight gathers post-race for a delicious brunch at the Disneyland® Half Marathon Weekend presented by Honda and Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by CORKCICLE races. Runners receive exclusive swag while top runners earn acknowledgements and sometimes special surprises!
Team Starlight has runDisney charity bibs for the Disneyland® Half Marathon Weekend presented by Honda and the Disneyland® Halloween Half Marathon Weekend in California. Team Starlight also runs in the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by CORKCICLE in Florida. Charity bibs are now available for the 2025 Disneyland® Halloween Half Marathon Weekend!
Every stride we take is done with fun and purpose. Running with Team Starlight can fill a child’s hospital stay with bright spots to get through tough days.
Join us in helping seriously ill kids today.
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