National Partnership Highlights 

Starlight Children Go to Camp, Thanks to the California Pizza Kitchen Foundation 

The California Pizza Kitchen Foundation is hosting 20 signature CPKids Camp Great Escapes throughout 2010, where Starlight children and their healthy siblings have a chance to pause from a life centered on doctor visits to play and make special childhood memories with their families. The events are taking place in Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and several other locations.

Activities include camp favorites such as sports, games, crafts, and music. Like all of Starlight’s Great Escapes family events, CPKids Camps also provide meaningful opportunities for families to meet others who are going through the same things, lessening their feelings of isolation.

At the events, families receive special t-shirts; local CPK restaurants provide pizzas, pastas and salads for lunch; and CPK employees come out to lend a helping hand!

MLB Puts Big League Smiles on Kids’ Faces 

Major League Baseball (MLB) and Starlight dedicated four Fun Center mobile entertainment units at hospitals located in the cities of the four League Championship Series teams that competed for a spot at the 2009 World Series. Each Fun Center features the logos of both Major League Baseball and the participating League Championship Series Club. We’re also placing an MLB-sponsored Fun Center in honor of the 2010 All-Star Game at Children’s Hospital of Orange County on July 10.

The sponsorship of the Fun Centers aligns with MLB’s “Going Beyond” initiative, which raises awareness for the causes of veterans, giving back, cancer research, and youth development.

At New York’s Bronx Lebanon Hospital, Mrs. Vera Clemente, wife of late Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, and representatives from Major League Baseball and the World Series Champion New York Yankees made the day for young patients when they rolled a Fun Center to the hospital’s newly renovated children’s floor. Mrs. Clemente told everyone that her husband believed one wasted his time if he did not do anything for his community. Seeing excited children eagerly starting a game of Wii baseball would have made him proud, she said.

The MLB-sponsored Fun Centers received an overwhelming response from young patients at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and Childrens Hospital of Orange County. Thanks to the Phillies, Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball!

Colgate-Palmolive Shows Starlight the Love 

The Colgate-Palmolive Company and Starlight recently celebrated our 20th year of partnership. Over the last two decades, Colgate has donated nearly 2,000 Starlight Fun Centers and more than $8 million to our organization in an effort to help improve the lives of young patients and their families.

In celebration of this 20-year milestone, Colgate kicked off its annual “Show The Love” campaign this past February to donate Starlight Fun Centers to children’s hospitals throughout the country. Through this online challenge, Colgate awarded a Starlight Fun Center once a day!

To learn more about this campaign and the participating hospitals, please visit www.colgate.com/showthelove.

Michaels Stores Select Starlight as Charity Partner 

Michaels Stores, Inc., the nation’s largest retailer of arts and crafts materials, has selected Starlight as a national charity partner, donating $100,000 in support of Starlight programs.

At the heart of Michaels’ giving strategy is employee engagement. Michaels and Starlight will begin coordinating employee-led, in-store Great Escapes, leveraging Michaels’ existing It’s My Birthday Party program. Michaels will also provide Starlight chapters and offices throughout the country with in-kind donations during seasonal changeovers and clear outs.

We look forward to what the future of this relationship may bring, and welcome Michaels to the Starlight family!