Beth Christopherson
Beth Christopherson's Fundraising Page
Fundraising for Starlight UK
Story
Thanks for visiting my
fundraising page!
As many of you know, I
have spent the best part of the past 2 years working in New Zealand and
Australia. While working in a paediatric hospital in Oz, I came across a
charity called the Starlight foundation, who provide entertainment to
hospitalised children and grant wishes to seriously and terminally ill
children. When I found out that there was also a Starlight foundation in the
UK, I decided I wanted to help raise funds which would help grant a child’s
dearest wish . That’s when I hit on the idea to do a half-marathon...so
on the 20th September 2009 I will be taking part in the world most
popular half-marathon....the Great North Run.
A little bit about the
Starlight foundation. The Starlight Children's Foundation aims to brighten the
lives of seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families. It
provides entertainment and fun to children in every hospital and hospice
throughout the UK. When it was formed in 1987, the foundation helped just 4
children. This year, Starlight aims to help 500000 children throughout the UK.
Starlight brightens the lives of children in many ways, but here are just a few
examples:
·
Starlight
Fun Centres: Mobile entertainment systems containing a TV, DVD player &
Nintendo console. These fun centres are not only used to keep kids entertained
while they are an inpatient, but they are also often used by play specialists
as part of distraction therapy before painful procedures.
·
Starlight
parties and pantomimes: everyone loves a good party, and sick children are no
exception! Starlight put on parties (complete with games & clowns) and
pantomimes in hospitals throughout the UK.
·
Starlight
wishes: The Starlight fairy grants the dearest wishes of seriously and
terminally ill children. A Starlight wish is chosen exclusively by the
child at a time when everyone else is making decision for them. The Starlight
fairy does her best to grant that wish and help the child and their family put
aside the worry of illness for a short time to have fun, laugh and create happy
memories to look back on...no matter what the future holds. Some of the wishes
granted recently by Starlight include taking 13 sick children to meet Father
Christmas in Lapland, taking a young boy who suffers from Duchenne Muscular
Dystrophy and his family to swim with dolphins in Florida, helping a young
cancer sufferer realise his dreams of being a policeman for a day and sending a
12 year old leukaemia sufferer on an African safari. There are many more
examples of wishes on the Starlight website.
Starlight does
fantastic work, but does not receive any government or lottery funding and
relies entirely on the generosity of the general public, and whilst Starlight
does its best to grant every child’s wish, as soon as one wish is granted,
another seriously ill child is referred.
Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Starlight Children's Foundation gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.
So please sponsor me now!
Thanks in advance for your support. Beth xx
Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Starlight Children's Foundation gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.
So please sponsor me now!
Thanks in advance for your support. Beth xx