Project Sunshine at Berkeley is a college chapter of a national nonprofit that delivers the healing power of play to children with medical needs. Volunteers visit pediatric patients at hospitals through the Here to Play program, facilitating arts and crafts activities at bedsides and in playrooms. Members can also run virtual TelePlay sessions over HIPAA-compliant video or pack activity kits. The experience builds real hospital exposure and leadership skills alongside a community of service-minded students.
76+
Active college chapters nationwide, across 30 states
18,000
Global volunteers mobilized annually
250,000
Children and families reached annually
500
Medical facility and nonprofit partners, across 175 cities in 4 countries
~100,000
Activity kits sent annually
~2
Kit packing session duration in hours, to complete 50 or 100 kits
Events They Host
Summer Solstice Play-A-Thon
Annual national fundraising and awareness campaign centered on the summer solstice. Includes an in-person family event at Chelsea Piers Brooklyn Field House (June 20, 2026, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) with sports, arts and crafts, and games, as well as community fundraising and retail partner activations throughout June.
Here to Party (Party Time events)
Large-scale in-hospital celebration events tied to holidays and landmark occasions for pediatric patients and families, typically underwritten by corporate sponsors and staffed by company and Project Sunshine volunteers.
Project Sunshine Week
Annual awareness week including proclamations from the Governor of New York and the Mayor of New York City, culminating in an Annual Benefit celebrating volunteers, families, and supporters.
Annual Golf Classic
Annual fundraising dinner and golf outing. The 9th Annual Golf Classic was held October 15, 2019 at Century Country Club in Purchase, NY. Over the first eight years the event raised over $3,000,000 for Project Sunshine.