Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Starlight Children's Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening medical conditions. The foundation has chapters and offices located throughout the United States, with the national headquarters located in Los Angeles, California
, and is a member of America's Charities
. Internationally, the foundation has offices and affiliates in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan.
Starlight Children's Foundation was founded in 1983 by Dynasty
star, Emma Samms
and her film producer cousin, Peter Samuelson
, and serves thousands of children each month with its programs designed to help seriously ill children and their families. The organization was Samms's response to losing her brother, Jamie, who died at age nine from aplastic anemia. The foundation's "high-tech" and "high-touch" programs are designed to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families with others facing similar challenges to create a community so that no one feels alone. The foundation does this by providing education, entertainment, and family events that help sick children cope with the pain, fear and isolation of prolonged illness.
Starlight also organizes and funds technology-based programs such as online communities, mobile entertainment centers and laptop computers - these are intended to help children and teenagers fill long hospital stays with entertainment, stay connected to their friends, keep up with school work and chat with other seriously ill children; it also provides educational programming via CDs, DVDs and the Internet that helps sick children understand common hospital procedures and manage illnesses such as cancer, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, asthma, IBD, and kidney disease.
and Legacy Interactive
to produce the a downloadable casual game
called The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures, which was used as a fundraiser for the charity.
The game features donated voice talent of William Shatner
, Bob Saget
, Jamie Lee Curtis
, Ashley Tisdale
, Dominic Scott Kay
, Dave Thomas
and Dave Coulier
.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
dedicated to improving the quality of life for children with chronic and life-threatening medical conditions. The foundation has chapters and offices located throughout the United States, with the national headquarters located in Los Angeles, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and is a member of America's Charities
America's Charities
America's Charities is a federation of approximately 180 charitable organization. America's Charities organizes workplace giving campaigns in the United States administered through the federal government, state and local government, and private sector corporations and provides the proceeds to its...
. Internationally, the foundation has offices and affiliates in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan.
Starlight Children's Foundation was founded in 1983 by Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
star, Emma Samms
Emma Samms
Emma Samms is a British television actress best known for her role as Holly Sutton on the American daytime soap opera General Hospital and for replacing Pamela Sue Martin as Fallon Carrington Colby on the primetime soap opera Dynasty.-Early life:Samms was born in Willesden, London, England, the...
and her film producer cousin, Peter Samuelson
Peter Samuelson
Peter Samuelson is an American and British TV and film producer and executive producer.- Career :Peter Samuelson is President of Film Associates, Inc. http://www.samuelson.la a media consultancy and production company...
, and serves thousands of children each month with its programs designed to help seriously ill children and their families. The organization was Samms's response to losing her brother, Jamie, who died at age nine from aplastic anemia. The foundation's "high-tech" and "high-touch" programs are designed to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families with others facing similar challenges to create a community so that no one feels alone. The foundation does this by providing education, entertainment, and family events that help sick children cope with the pain, fear and isolation of prolonged illness.
Services and outreach
Starlight builds playrooms and special events designed to ease the loneliness, fear and boredom that accompany long hospital stays. Entertainment events include musicians, clowns and other entertainers for pediatric hospital patients. Starlight's community events and outings for children and their families, known as Great Escapes, gives families a chance to have fun together away from the hospital so they can relax, regroup and return home with a renewed sense of strength and hope.Starlight also organizes and funds technology-based programs such as online communities, mobile entertainment centers and laptop computers - these are intended to help children and teenagers fill long hospital stays with entertainment, stay connected to their friends, keep up with school work and chat with other seriously ill children; it also provides educational programming via CDs, DVDs and the Internet that helps sick children understand common hospital procedures and manage illnesses such as cancer, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, asthma, IBD, and kidney disease.
Programs
The foundation's programs include:- Fun Centers - bedside mobile entertainment units provided to hospitalized pediatric patients, that contain multimedia equipment, such as a Nintendo Wii™, DVD player and a Sharp AQUOS™ LCD television. A Fun Center comes preloaded with 22 games and provides endless hours of distraction and fun in the hospital
- Great Escapes - relaxing, fun-filled events provided for Starlight families, including ball games, picnics, cruises, spa days and movie premiers, that provide time to connect with other families, make new friends, and spend family time together
- Hospital Happenings - parties and entertainers come to hospitals to offer hospitalized kids comfort, companionship and a break from medical treatment
- Day Brighteners - a chance for a family to break away from the stress and struggles they are facing with donated tickets from a wide array of events
- Starbright World - an online social network for teens with chronic and life-threatening medical conditions, and their siblings. Sick teens are able to connect with other teens that are at home or in the hospital. Users post pictures, chat, post blogs and bulletins and find new friends in similar situations
- Starlight Sites - specially designed hospital environments where pediatric patients can relax, play and interact with other children during their hospital stay
- PC Pals - laptop computers that provide pediatric patients with a variety of entertaining and educational software, Starlight's media programs, and filtered Internet access
Fundraiser
In 2007, Starlight partnered with Animax EntertainmentAnimax Entertainment
Animax Entertainment is an animation and interactive production studio based in Van Nuys, California. Animax's clients include Disney, ESPN, Warner Bros., National Geographic, Sesame Workshop, WWE and many others. Animax has a particular expertise in Adobe Flash animation and has produced work...
and Legacy Interactive
Legacy Interactive
Legacy Interactive is a video game developer and media company based in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1998 by Ariella Lehrer, Legacy initially developed medical simulations such as Emergency Room and Pet Pals: Animal Doctor. Since 2004 Legacy has focused almost entirely on creating casual...
to produce the a downloadable casual game
Casual game
A casual game is a video game targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games...
called The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures, which was used as a fundraiser for the charity.
The game features donated voice talent of William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
, Bob Saget
Bob Saget
Robert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...
, Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress and author. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in several horror films early in her career, such as Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train, Curtis has since compiled a body of work that spans many...
, Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
, Dominic Scott Kay
Dominic Scott Kay
Dominic Scott Kay is an American child actor.He was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician and actor Scott Kay. He is probably best known for his cameo appearance in the Easter egg scene of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End as the son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann...
, Dave Thomas
Dave Thomas (actor)
David "Dave" Thomas is a Canadian comedian and actor. He was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, but moved to Durham, North Carolina where his father, John E. Thomas, attended Duke University and earned a PhD in Philosophy. Thomas attended George Watts and Moorehead elementary schools...
and Dave Coulier
Dave Coulier
David Alan "Dave" Coulier is an American stand-up comedian, impressionist, television and voice actor, and television host. He is well-known for his role as Joey Gladstone on the ABC sitcom Full House, which ran from 1987 to 1995....
.