12 May 2017 A Few Of Our Favorite Things

On August 24th 2016, a strong earthquake hit Central Italy, killing hundreds of people and destroying entire villages.  The news was especially devastating to those of us in the Milan office. Like the rest of Italy that day, we spent hours trying to get in touch with friends and relatives in the affected areas. As we watched the news coming in, we wished there was some way we could help. But at CharityStars, we realized there was something we could do. We immediately reached out to celebrities and created a campaign supporting the victims. The response was amazing. Dozens of celebrities, athletes, and singers joined the initiative, auctioning experiences to support the cause.  We worked relentlessly for weeks to make it possible, driven by our desire to help those people who lost everything.  Thanks to the campaign, we raised over €200,000 to support the earthquake victims in Italy. We are currently still hosting CharityStars auctions that directly benefit Italian earthquake victims.  This is what we love about our work: every day we have chance to help someone in need, and when we go home after a long day in the office, we know that we did something good.   

 For Playstation’s 20th anniversary, Sony Computer Entertainment teamed up with CharityStars to auction 50 PlayStation®4 (PS4™) 20th Anniversary Editions to support Terre des Homme. These consoles feature the most innovative technology along with the original gray paint scheme, recalling the first PlayStation design. This limited edition console is a true must-have for every gaming fan.  The winners got a unique collection piece and supported a great cause. The proceeds supported the Terre des Hommes project, which provides direct care to over 600 minors suffering from physical or psychological violence. The campaign reached a goal of more than $100,ooo in support of the Terre des Homme project.   “Here at Playstation, we think that every kid should have the possibility to grow happily, without knowing what violence means. Unfortunately, not all of them have had this privilege. For this reason we’re proud to collaborate with Terre des Homme for this project that we hope could bring happiness and fun to all those children that didn’t have this opportunity.” - Marco Saletta - Sony Computer Entertainment Italy General Manager.

In 1918, Pablo Picasso picked up a pencil and started sketching. He could have never imagined that almost 100 years later, that drawing would be auctioned for 120,000 pounds, nor that it could help hundreds of women and children in need.    The artwork was sold at the Global Gift Gala held in London in 2015 along with other unique art pieces, increasing exponentially the amount raised for the charity. Art, indeed, is one of the most involved industries when we talk about charity. Thousands of artists and galleries partner every year with the charities they care about, donating their works for a good cause.  And it’s not only about art pieces. There were many successful cases of art-related experiences, like having  a portrait made by a famous contemporary artist, a photo shoot from a renowned photographer, and a private visit to an art exhibition with the museum curator.  The possibilities are endless when it comes to art lovers making their dreams come true while supporting a great cause.   

Introducing new features! We've been working to expand your options at CharityStars and to make our platform even more convenient and seamless. From new ways to win unique items and unforgettable experiences, to more features to keep track of and manage your bids, our new look was designed to make it easier than ever before to win while creating change in the world.