Project Pinball Charity
Project Pinball Charity is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that places pinball machines in children's hospitals to provide recreational relief to patients, family members, and staff.[1] Operating out of Bonita Springs, Florida since 2011[2] Project Pinball has donated 53 pinball machines to 49 hospitals spanning 24 states.[3]
Motto | Placing Pinball Machines In Children's Hospitals and Ronald McDonald Homes |
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Formation | 2013 |
Type | Nonprofit 501(C)(3) |
Purpose | Patient Rehabilitation |
Headquarters | Bonita Springs, FL |
Key people | Daniel Spolar (Founder) |
Website | Official website |
History
Project Pinball Charity was founded on August 19, 2013 by Daniel Spolar.[4] Spolar noticed an inoperable 2007 Spider-Man Pinball Machine in Golisano Children's Hospital and offered to fix it. After repairing the machine and discovering it had been played over 21,300 times in two years, Spolar went on to found Project Pinball Charity to assist other children's hospitals in their patient rehabilitation.[5] Since then they have been assisted by pinball manufacturers such as Stern,[6] Jersey Jack Pinball, and Visual Pinball to donate machines to 49 different hospitals in 41 states.[7] In 2020 the charity's annual Love Across America Tour dedicated 8 machines in 14 days including one in Cincinnati, Ohio with the help of local celebrity Fluke Skywalker[8] and another in Columbia, South Carolina.[9]
Project Pinball Charity has a Gold rating from Guidestar.[10]
Hospital donations
Project Pinball has donated 53 pinball machines placed in 49 children’s hospitals and 24 states including Children's Hospital Colorado, Sunrise Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, UNC Children's Hospital, Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baptist Hospital of Southeast Texas, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital and Medical Center of Omaha, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Advocate Children's Hospital, Palm Beach Children's Hospital, K.Hovnanian Children's Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Wesley Children's Hospital[11] and Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida.[12]
References
- "Pinball for therapy". Coastal Breeze News, Inc. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
- Tess.projectpinball, Community Contributor. "Children's Hospital Scores Stern Pinball Machine for Patients". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
- "About – The Project Pinball Charity". Project Pinball Charity. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
- "Detail by Entity Name". search.sunbiz.org. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
- "Project Pinball scores big for children's hospitals". The News-Press. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
- Mikus, Kim. "Nutriad invests $4 million in Hampshire facility". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
- "Stern Pinball & Project Pinball Donate Pinball Machine to Local Children's Hospital - Community | Stern Pinball". www.sternpinball.com. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
- "Mark Hamill doppleganger 'Fluke Skywalker' raises money for Ronald McDonald house gift". WKRC Local 12. 2020-12-11.
- "Ronald McDonald House of Columbia receives new pinball machine". WOLO-TV ABC Columbia. 2020-12-14.
- "PROJECT PINBALL CHARITY GROUP INC - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
- Vermeulen, Jess (2017-07-13). "Pinball machine brings relief to patients at Wesley". KSNW. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
- "Impact – The Project Pinball Charity". projectpinball.org. Retrieved 2017-02-03.