Starlight Awards
Starlight is incredibly focused on fulfilling our mission - delivering happiness to seriously ill kids and their families - and we could not do this without the support of our generous donors, partners, and hospitals.
In 2022, several individuals, organizations and groups went above and beyond in promoting our work of bringing joy to kids at a time when they need it most. Recognizing them with a Starlight Award is a small gesture in comparison to the lasting impact of their efforts.
2022 Starlight Award Honorees
Lifetime Achievement | Dave Koz
Dave Koz has been a global ambassador for Starlight since 1993, supporting all of our core programs. Through his community of friends and fans and activations like the annual Dave Koz Cruise, charitable wine label, and more, they have raised over $1.75 million to benefit Starlight.
Golden Heart | Tori Boggs
Boggs, the Grand World jump rope champion and Guinness World Record holder, was an incredible a sponsor and fundraiser for the inaugural Star Jump Challenge. In addition to donating proceeds from the sales of a customized Starlight jump rope on her business website TORQ Ropes, Tori used her platform to support the new initiative and fundraise for happiness.
Hospital Heroes
Hospital of the Year | Luskin Orthopedic Institute for Children
LuskinOIC’s philosophy is that effective recovery and rehabilitation involve providing young patients with various tools and forms of managing pain and discomfort. They incorporate Starlight programs, like Toy Deliveries and Gaming, to incentivize their patients across their clinics.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusivity Champion | Hurley Medical Center
Hurley Medical Center started with a bequest of land and $55,000 from James J. Hurley to the City of Flint to build a hospital for all citizens, “regardless of their ability to pay.” It is entirely self-supporting and provides over $17 million of uncompensated care to those with little or no health insurance each year.
Excellence in Innovation | Raymundo Jacinto
Raymundo Jacinto, PA-C, is a physician’s assistant at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He works in pediatric acute and chronic pain management and has established a virtual reality program for children to support them while being admitted to the hospital.
Golden Heroes
Michele Axford
Michele, a compassionate Certified Child Life Specialist at AdventHealth Tampa, prioritizes her patients’ happiness and well-being above all else. She works in close partnership with Starlight, sharing, heartwarming stories of the joy Starlight programs bring to her pediatric patients.
Meredith McCulloch
Meredith, an Art Therapist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, is a strong advocate for her patients and went above and beyond to ensure they could experience the impact of the Starlight VR Direct-to-Family program. By doing so, she helped bridge the gap between her patient’s hospital journey and their at-home recovery.
501st Legion
The 501st Legion is a professional Star Wars cosplay group that supports Starlight’s mission through character visits with hospitalized kids, fundraising, and more. During the 2022 Star Wars Celebration, they raised over $30,000 in just a few days to support Starlight and the children we serve!
Content Creators of the Year
BlkLght
BlkLght, a DJ, producer, and partnered Twitch broadcaster, began fundraising for Starlight during our 12 Days of Streaming in 2020 and has participated each year since with his team, Stream Stars. He has raised over $16,000, and helped the Stream Stars, raise over $86,00!
ChefSteve
ChefSteve is a food and drink broadcaster and, since 2019, has raised over $40,000 for Starlight! He is dedicated to giving back to charity by leading the Good Cause Crusaders stream team and utilizing his “More Than Pasta” food truck to encourage his patrons to donate to Starlight.
Quiltoni
Quiltoni, a professional quilter and broadcaster, has gone above and beyond in the livestream fundraising space, and even participated in the 2023 Starlight runDisney Princess Fairytale. Her community is passionate about Starlight’s mission and has landed her in the 2022 Top 3 Stream For Starlight fundraisers!