About Us

When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For nearly 30 years, Starlight Children’s Foundation has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone.

In 1993, Starlight began to serve Arizona's communities through its hospital-based programs. In 2006, Starlight Arizona opened a Phoenix-based office to better serve the state's most ill children and facilitate expansion. Establishing a local presence has enabled Starlight Arizona to raise community awareness, collaborate with other organizations, garner local support for long-standing hospital-based programs and introduce Starlight's Great Escapes family activities program to the community.

Starlight Arizona's first Great Escape was held in July 2006. The program has expanded rapidly since then and now serves more than 258 families (1,225 children and family members) in Phoenix and its surrounding metropolitan areas.

Annually, Starlight Arizona brightens the lives of more than 72,000 children and their family members statewide.