Starlight Child Raises Funds for Fellow Starlight Kids!

My son Dalton had his Bar Mitzvah October of 2007. Part of becoming a Bar Mitzvah is to participate in a charity that is near to your heart. Dalton wanted his charity to enhance the lives of kids like him, dealing with cancer and chemo. Being a patient at Georgetown Hospital, Dalton has spent TOO many days confined to a hospital bed, bored out of his mind.

Dalton noticed that the self contained entertainment Funcenter he had played with while at Georgetown had a Starlight logo on it. He contacted the child life specialist on the floor, Linda Jung and inquired about the affiliation. Linda explained that Starlight obtains the units for the hospital. That was the solution to the charity Dalton would choose – collect money to get a new Funcenter for the hospital – one with a Wii system and updated games.

When Dalton presented this quest to us, we thought the idea was wonderful – being able to help so many children – many he knows first hand. We contacted the Starlight Foundation and were a bit overwhelmed to learn that the center cost over $4000. Dalton is very ambitious and did not blink at the amount -”I can do it “.

Our local newspaper publicized Dalton’s quest and with the help of many friends, family and strangers Dalton met his goal of $4250. But, the donations kept rolling in, and after three months, Dalton collected over $8400 – enough to get TWO Funcenters for the hospital.

After a long wait, the Funcenters finally arrived at Georgetown. They were officially presented earlier this month with a small ceremony which included hospital staff, patients and Dalton.

The label on the side of each system reads; “ENJOY, LAUGH, HAVE FUN”.

We hope the systems bring joy to many children and hope they alleviate some of the boredom.

-Bari, Bill, Zach and Dalton Gulsby

The Harlem Globetrotters trot on to Richmond!

As the last ones to get to see the Harlem Globetrotters we had high expectations for this event and the Harlem Globetrotters exceeded our expectations.  Our families were so excited about this event they gave up their Easter Sunday meals and egg hunts to be together for this fun filled event.  The kids had so much fun.  They were screaming and jumping out of their seats with pure enjoyment. 
 

 

One Starlight father shared his thought about this event…”What a wonderful day today was. Thank you for giving up time on EASTER with your family to host this event. As you know we really enjoy being with the Starlight group and would do anything to support which is why we show up to the events so that it stays successful. With that said there are many events that I can chose from over the past 14 months but none have had Daniel laughing so hard as today.  He was beaming with enjoyment something that has been missing for a while.  So again the Smith family thanks you for yet another wonderful event.”

Harlem Globetrotters Trot Over to Washington, DC!

After all the fun our Starlight MidAtlantic families had in Philly at the Harlem Globetrotters event, our DC families were ready for the Globetrotters to show their stuff here in our nation’s capital! Last Saturday our Starlight MidAtlantic families began the day bright and early with brunch at Clyde’s of Gallery Place. While we feasted on eggs, french toast, bagels and other breakfast goodies, the excitement of the day hummed throughout the room.

After receiving our own mini Starlight MidAtlantic basketballs, we headed over to the Verizon Center for Globetrotters University. Globetrotters University is a program geared towards character education and physical fitness presented by the players. We all got the chance to hear the team history, see a skills demonstration and get some of our hottest Harlem Globetrotters questions answered! The fun didn’t stop then, as the main event was about to begin-the GAME!!! The game was hilarious, and exactly the way basketball should always be played. Our section was alive with giggles and laughs, not just from the kids! We also got a special announcement for our group welcoming Starlight MidAtlantic to the event! Here is what some of our parents had to say:

We wanted to thank you for a great time this past Saturday for the brunch and the Globetrotters. It was awesome! We know you work hard to coordinate everything, so we wanted you to know how much it meant to us. It was definitely a welcome break. Thanks to you and all involved. Starlight MidAtlantic Family

And from one of our new families, this was their first event:

Thank you for the first really great day we’ve had in a long time! What wonderful planning went into creating such a special time! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. A Starlight MidAtlantic mom.

A Globetrotters Great Escapes

For the second year in a row, Starlight MidAtlantic families enjoyed watching the Harlem Globetrotters at the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia.  From the Globetrotter University pre-show to the game itself, the afternoon was filled with fun and laughter.

Highlights of the day were a Starlight child and parent showing off their moves during Globetrotter University and the group cheering the team back to the court after half-time through the Starlight MidAtlantic “High Five Tunnel”. 

One Starlight parent shared her thoughts about the event…“Everyone enjoyed the Globetrotters as usual… My whole family really appreciates what you and the other volunteers do for us.  You know it is so hard to plan an outing when you have ill children and you taking away the worry and having us just have to show up is such a wonderful experience.  I hope you know how valuable you are and how much it means to the families for whom you plan the Great Escapes.  I thank God for each event I am able to share with my family thanks to you, and I am eternally grateful that the Nurse at St. Christopher’s referred my family to Starlight MidAtlantic. Thank you.  I can’t say it enough.”

Super *Star*, Super *Kids*! Hannah Montana Cast Member Visits!

A private meet and greet for Starlight children was held with Hannah Montana cast member, Jason Earles!

Jason Earles plays Hannah Montana’s older brother, Jackson Stewart, on the Disney Channel Original Series Hannah Montana. Meeting a cast member from the mega hit show brightened the lives of several children. It was truly inspiring to watch Jason take time out of his busy schedule to really interact with Starlight children.

Jason said that all the kids were so excited to meet him. “A few told me I made their day, but they made mine.”

One Starlight child couldn’t contain his excitement. “When my mom told me we were invited to meet Jackson [Jason’s character on Hannah Montana] and the doctor said I could go I was so excited”, said one Starlight child. “It’s so cool to see him; it’s the best thing ever!” You could hear the screams of fans waiting for Jason in the main mall has he left the Starlight MidAtlantic meet and greet, having met a big star, each of our Starlight children left the event with a grin from ear-to-ear.

Skating Away, Ice Skating Great Escape

Recently, Starlight MidAtlantic’s seriously ill children and their families had a Great Escape at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Skating Rink! While the weather and the ice were chilly, the children didn’t notice it much!

The kids were decked out in Starlight MidAtlantic sweatshirts and showed them off proudly around the rink. Each family was also given a special gift: a Starlight MidAtlantic Swarovski Crystal Snowflake! 

One Starlight mom thoughtfully told us about how much this event means to her son:“Our family had so much fun. These events really lift my family’s spirits. Dawson has to have infusion sites and tubing inserted every three days. This is a very painful process and we often talk about our latest Starlight MidAtlantic escape to help Dawson keep his mind off the pain. Life is tough living with such a devastating disease. It really affects our entire family. Thank you for allowing my family to have much needed ‘escapes’.” 

We already can’t wait for the next Great Escape!

Pizza & Pottery Party, All Fired Up Great Escape

Yesterday Starlight MidAtlantic kids and their families enjoyed a fabulous Great Escape at All Fired Up Pottery, a paint-your-own pottery studio. We kicked off the night with dinner at Mamma Lucia’s, where everyone munched on pizza and pasta. (And cookies and brownies, of course!) After dinner, we took a short walk across the street to All Fired Up, where we all got busy working on our pottery. There were so many different types of pottery to choose, from traditional items like plates, cups, and tiles to African masks, cars, even robots! We also had a variety of paints, patterns, and designs to decorate our pottery. Some of us played it safe with traditional colors, others went wild! It was truly a fun and exciting night, and the painting was also very relaxing. Some of the finished products were very impressive, we certainly have some budding artists in our Starlight MidAtlantic family. You can check out our photos below!

We had a wonderful time yesterday! It was so relaxing at the Pottery place, I really enjoyed it and the children were thrilled! Thanks so much for giving us this much happiness!

Starlight MidAtlantic mom