Starlight Children’s Foundation and Colossal Celebrate $3.2 million raised through the Face of Halloween competition
Colossal unveils the funds raised and the winner of the Face of Halloween competition while helping deliver toys to hospitalized kids.
PHOENIX, Nov. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The nonprofit Starlight Children’s Foundation and professional fundraiser Colossal celebrated the results of their Face of Halloween competition, which raised $3.2 million during a holiday celebration at Banner Children’s at Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale.
Colossal also announced the winner of the Face of Halloween, Ollie Graves, a scary movie fan who loves all things spooky. Graves will be awarded $13,000 and a meet-and-greet with the original “Scream Queen” Jamie Lee Curtis and fellow slasher film vets, Matthew Lillard of “Scream” and Kane Hodder, aka Jason Voorhees.
Mary Hagen, Colossal CEO, shared how the competition benefits Starlight and what it was like to deliver happiness to hospitalized kids. “Through public voting, we’re also raising awareness for Starlight Children’s Foundation as we narrow down to our champion. There’s really nothing like it when you get to have this tangible impact. We raise the funds, but we don’t always get the opportunity to get hands-on, so it’s really an exceptional experience to see the impact of the dollars we’ve raised through the competition.”
Starlight CEO, Adam Garone, reflected on the partnership with Colossal. “One of the most important days for children is Halloween, so this campaign raising $3.2 million for us will go so far in delivering more of our programs to kids for the holiday and throughout the rest of the year. To all the voters and participants in the Face of Halloween, your donations will have an incredible impact on the amount of children that we are able to support through Starlight programs.”
Starlight Children’s Foundation offers programs, like Toy Deliveries and Hospital Gowns, free of charge, to its hospital partners nationwide, including Banner Children’s at Thunderbird, to help unleash the power of play, an essential part of childhood. Play provides pediatric patients with positive distraction and moments of happiness while temporarily setting aside the challenges of medical procedures, treatments, and conditions. Studies have shown that engaging in play can contribute to patients’ well-being and potentially contribute to a speedy recovery.
“We’re incredibly grateful for organizations like Starlight and Colossal for everything they do to help make our young patients’ times in the hospital a bit less scary,” said Nikki Hardin, nursing director at Banner Children’s at Thunderbird. “Seeing the joy on kids’ faces during events like reverse trick-or-treating and toy deliveries is a testament to the impact made for our pediatric patients and their families.”
This marks the second year that Starlight Children’s Foundation has been the beneficiary of a Colossal competition. Face of Halloween highlights the power of community and fandoms as Halloween fans everywhere participated and voted for their favorites to become the Face of Halloween.
About Starlight Children’s Foundation
Hospital stays can be lonely, stressful, and scary. That’s why Starlight exists. Founded in 1982, Starlight Children’s Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that aims to deliver happiness to seriously ill children and their families through vital programs that impact millions of kids annually. Donor-funded and offered free of charge to hospitals and families, Starlight programs unleash the power of play, empowering kids with a renewed sense of optimism, resilience, and courage. Starlight is a top-rated charity committed to the equitable allocation of programs to its nationwide hospital network. Healing begins with happiness™. Learn more at starlight.org and follow Starlight on social media @starlightchildrensfoundation.
About Colossal
Colossal is a nationally registered professional fundraiser that inspires people to advocate for themselves and those in need. Through online competitions like Face of Halloween, participants have the opportunity to make their mark while also making a big impact. Colossal competitions serve as fundraising campaigns for DTCare, a United States 501(c)(3) public charity organization, which then grants donation funds to specified charities at the completion of the competitions. Learn more at colossal.org. Who’s Next?
Media Contact:
Anne Pritchett
pr@colossal.org
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SOURCE Colossal
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