The ‘Have you spotted one yet’ social media campaign in support of ‘The £10,000 Plush Toy Fundraiser’ for bacta charity Rays of Sunshine launches this weekend across Facebook, Twitter, Insta and LinkedIn. The campaign promotes the ‘super cute four fluffy friends’ encouraging audiences to win them at a UK arcade or buy them direct from Amazon.
The fundraising initiative which is a partnership between Whitehouse Leisure, the bacta Charitable Trust and Rays of Sunshine, has set itself an ambitious five figure target with Whitehouse donating 50p for every cute Eco Earth plush toy sold. All monies will be distributed by the Trust to Rays of Sunshine the charity which brightens the lives of seriously ill young people and their families by granting wishes and providing ongoing support within hospitals.
Bacta Chief Executive John White believes the fundraiser which will run throughout the summer season brings all elements of the industry together. He said: “This is a campaign which drives traffic to arcades and MSA’s and puts the Crane front and centre stage. It’s fundraising for a brilliant cause at the same time as helping bacta members across multiple sectors.”
He added: “This idea was fleshed out in the lead-up to EAG and I have to say a huge thanks to Phil Setter and the team at Whitehouse for having the vision and the determination to turn a concept into a fully functioning campaign. The collectibles are made from sustainable materials which gives extra kudos to the campaign and reflects positively on the industry’s environmental credentials.”
Rays of Sunshine, which next year celebrates its 21st anniversary, is one of the most popular recipients of bacta fundraising. The charity, which has reached out to over 80,000 seriously ill children and their families, believes that every child deserves to experience happiness and put their illness on hold – even if it is just for one day. The work undertaken by Rays of Sunshine sets out to create a positive distraction, reduce isolation, improve self-esteem and create precious memories and smiles.
Since 1991 the bacta Charitable Trust has raised a total of £3.25m for good causes with members generating more than £500,000 for Rays of Sunshine.