Quiltoni Celebrates Turning 50 by Raising 50K

Community Stories

·Jun 29th, 2026

A Birthday Fundraiser for Children’s Hospitals

Toni, also known as Quiltoni on Twitch, is turning 50 this year. That's a big deal—not only because it’s a huge milestone, but also because she is a former pediatric patient herself.

Toni was born with an undiagnosed disaccharide intolerance, meaning her body lacks the enzyme to process sugars such as lactose, sucrose, or maltose. In her first two years of life, she didn’t get the nutrients she needed to grow.

Quiltoni Headshot_Stream for Starlight — Quiltoni with her quilted designs.

Her life changed when her mother reached a pediatrician, Dr. Klinger, who had recently treated a similar case. He correctly diagnosed her condition, finally providing the specialized care she needed to grow and thrive.

Though Toni faced a difficult childhood spending most of it going in and out of the hospital, she eventually found a way to give back.

Inspired by the programs offered by Starlight Children’s Foundation, which now operates in every hospital she once visited, Toni has raised over $121,000 since 2019 to bring happiness to hospitalized children.

“I spent most of my life growing up in and out of hospitals. Being a child in the hospital in the 70s and early 80s wasn't fun at all. Programs like Starlight make the hospital experience so much better. That is why I raise money for Starlight.”
- Toni

Toni has a goal to fundraise $50,000 this year in honor of her 50th Birthday.

She’s calling the campaign “50K for 50Q”, with the ‘Q’ standing for Quiltoni.

Quiltoni_supporting hospitalized children through gaming — Toni playing with pediatric patients on the Starlight Gaming Station she fundraised for.

Seeing How Gaming Helps Hospitalized Children

As Toni has fundraised over the years, she’s placed Starlight programs at specific hospitals.

“The best thing about Starlight is that when you donate your money, you can see exactly where it's going,” says Toni. “They are so transparent with everything, and they have the highest Charity Navigator score I’ve seen.”

Last month, Toni had a special opportunity to deliver a Starlight Gaming Station that she raised with her community for a hospital.

Toni was in the playroom before they brought the Gaming Station in, and she recalls seeing two kids looking bored and down. But as soon as they rolled it in, they lit up, ran over and grabbed the controllers. “It was a complete change with their demeanor,” she shares.

Toni understands that Healing Begins with Happiness™, and she saw it happening firsthand at this visit.

Toni's Creative Ideas to Raise Money for Charity

To hit her $50,000 goal, Toni is thinking outside the box.

She’s going local to fundraise in her sewing community, asking businesses she works with to choose Starlight as their charity of choice, hosting classes with proceeds going to Starlight and store events like sewing races and fabric strip poker.
On her Twitch stream, she’s hosting a game night where community members can donate to make her play her least favorite games.
As she’s traveling to different conventions, she’s been hosting a “Take What You Want, Donate What You Want” at her booth. Different community members have been donating items – books, patterns, fabrics, a thread winder, pins and magnets – and attendees can take an item and donate however much they’d like.

There are many other fundraising events Toni has scheduled throughout the year. Coming up on Monday, July 27th is a Sewing Race at Zig Zag Corner Quilts in Greenfield, Indiana.

Quiltoni reacts to Stream for Starlight's Spring Stream campaign reaching $100,000 fundraised.

Spread Happiness in this World

What brings Toni back to Starlight each year is this: to make the world a better place.

She shares that the number one way to do that is through charities and programs like Starlight.

Toni knows how important it is to look at the good acts in the world, where people are lifting each other up, especially in an uncertain and stressful time.

Join Toni and be the kind of person that this world needs.

Lift up seriously ill kids when they need it most - you can make a difference.