Today we’d like to introduce you to Project Pinball Charity Group, Inc.
Project Pinball Charity Group, Inc., we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Headquartered in Bonita Springs, FL, Project Pinball Charity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that places pinball machines in Children’s Hospitals and Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHCs) to introduce and provide therapeutic benefits to kids of all ages, as well as to their families and the medical staff that care for them.
Project Pinball Charity began with the discovery of a broken pinball machine at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, FL. The machine, located in The Chrissy Brown Hematology and Oncology Unit, no longer functioned. This Spider-man pinball machine by Stern Pinball was a memorial gift donated to the hospital in the memory of Jimmy Schneeberger (02/17/1989 – 04/13/2000). After seeing this gift in disrepair, an immediate decision was made to restore the machine to perfect, playable condition.
With the gracious support of the pinball community and local benefactors, funds were raised to purchase equipment, parts, and supplies needed to fix the pinball machine. Community members also donated time to help restore the machine. This project was a group effort, as all involved recognized the therapeutic benefits of pinball play in a medical environment.
Pinball play gives young patients motivation to get back on their feet and a recreational lift that is vital to rehabilitation, recovery, and respite. After witnessing this at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, our Sr. Founder/Director Daniel Spolar knew this was not exclusive to this location–He knew pinball is therapy.
Since 2011, our Team has donated the use of pinball machines to Children’s Hospitals, RMHCs, and other Medical Facilities alongside local communities and partners. Now a nationwide organization with pinball machines across the United States, the number of locations in our Pinball Placement Program reaches 74 and counting.
We are a small team of 5, but Project Pinball Charity has 100s of volunteers nationwide that help with fundraising, maintenance, and sharing our mission. We are a grassroots charity and would not be where we are today without our community!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Every journey has its fair share of obstacles and challenges, however Project Pinball Charity is a trend setter.
There is not another Charity nationwide that serves Children’s Hospitals and Ronald McDonald House Charities with therapeutic pinball play. Our Charity has placed 74 pinball machines in 29 states in the last 13 years, and with each placement our knowledge expands on how our Pinball Placement Program operates and benefits the local communities we serve.
Project Pinball Charity developed and perfected our Pinball Placement Program with the help of beneficiary/community feedback and personal experience. We will continue to tailor our Program when necessary to ensure the best experience and care for everyone involved. Each testimony provides insight into how pinball therapy is increasing happiness, physical activity, and positive social atmosphere, encouraging bonding, and decreasing stress.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Every day across the nation, young patients and families are displaced from their home and routine and forced into foreign situations and places. There’s a serious and real need for staff at Children’s Hospitals and RMHCs to have access to tools that comfort patients and families and also deliver therapeutic relief.
Patients and families need healthy therapeutic outlets and relief while coping with serious health-related issues. Through the placement of pinball machines rehabilitation, recovery, and respite are provided to manage the trauma experienced as a patient and a family unit. The familiarity of a pinball machine simultaneously acclimates patients and families to medical environments and provides necessary health benefits.
Our main program, the Pinball Placement Program, introduces a pinball machine and these therapeutic benefits to a local Children’s Hospital, RMHC, or other Medical Facility brought to our attention by local community members who see a valuable need for our Program. With our help, the local community raises funds to reach the Pinball Placement Fundraiser Goal and a Dedication Day is set to welcome the pinball machine to its new home!
Another program we developed is called the Rx Pinball Placement Program, which provides S.T.E.A.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Learning to special needs programs. This program was developed with specific goals that aim to foster collaboration skills, logical reasoning, and inquiring minds through pinball play. With therapeutic and education benefits as the priority, our team assists teachers and/or counselors in school settings with complete program integration.
For both Programs, a local Volunteer Technician is designated to maintain the machine on behalf of our organization. Once the machine is placed and dedicated, Project Pinball Charity provides all the equipment, parts, supplies, and regular maintenance at no cost to each host location as part of our Programs.
A case study was recently conducted at Lockwood Elementary School in Eaton Rapids, MI by Special Education Teacher Mrs. Ashley Gouchenor that showed positive results in the classroom regarding pinball play. You can read the case study in our provided links.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Though Project Pinball Charity does not consist of one person, we can give some traits that we hope our beneficiaries, community members, and team members to be remembered by.
Traits Describing the Patients, Families, and Medical Staff Project Pinball Charity Serves:
-Determined
-Hopeful
-Vibrant
Traits Describing Project Pinball Charity Community Members:
-Compassionate
-Devoted
-Generous
Traits Describing the Project Pinball Charity Team:
-Creative
-Dedicated
-Kind-Hearted
Pricing:
- Project Pinball Charity Pinball Placement Program Fundraiser Goal: $10,000
- Project Pinball Charity T-Shirt: $25.00
- Project Pinball Charity Lapel Pin: $7.00
- Project Pinball Charity Bracelet: $1
Contact Info:
- Website: https://projectpinball.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/project_pinball_charity/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectPinball/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProjectPinball
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectPinballCharity
- Other: https://4.files.edl.io/8519/01/19/23/172459-b8108a49-23d3-4351-8d62-5b0598befe69.pdf
