GolinHarris' (GH) Texas region has provided PR support for pro-bono client, Starlight Children's Foundation Texas since 2009, bringing to life Starlight's mission of helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear, and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Each year, GH supports Starlight's annual Holiday Tea to raise funds to help the organization meet a variety of needs for not just the sick children but their families as well.
This holiday season, GH Texas is not only a sponsor at the event, but the team will be on site to help Starlight raise funds for its “Brighten Up Bears” program - an ongoing fundraising project aimed at supplying stuffed teddy bears to every child in a Texas hospital to help “make illness bearable, one hug a time.”
Launched in June 2011, the Brighten Up Bear program has been a focal point for the GH Texas team. The purchase of a Brighten Up Bear is twofold: it ensures that an ill child entering the hospital receives a plush bear with a personalized message from the donor; and, it raises funds for additional Starlight programs, to further touch the lives of these kids. The Brighten Up Bears will be a focus at the Holiday Tea where attendees will be encouraged to pledge to sponsor one bear per month during 2012. GH and Starlight currently serve more than 40,000 sick kids and their families in Texas, but we have a goal to reach the more than 2 million children and their families that could benefit from Starlight's programs.
Getting sick is part of life, but for seriously ill children fighting chronic or terminal illnesses, treatments, and long-term hospital stays, periods of loneliness and fear are inevitable. For the GolinHarris team, providing PR and personal support for Starlight Children's Foundation Texas is a small but rewarding way to give back to the community. Just seeing a child's face light up while receiving a Brighten Up Bear in the hospital makes all of the team's hard work, time, and effort well worth it.
