St. Jude 2022 Recap + $250,000 Total Raised

This year, I set out to raise $30,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital over the course of one week of streaming on Twitch, down from a goal of $100,000 and an entire month of streaming last year. After working non-stop for the entire week, producing content to encourage donations and a 12-hour marathon stream, we reached a final total of $18,046.42.

In past years, not hitting a goal I’d set for fundraising would’ve been devastating for me. I would’ve felt foolish, like I’d failed, like my “time on Twitch had passed,” etc. This year, however, I can say with all sincerity that I am absolutely proud of the work that I did and proud of those who showed up and supported so generously.

Over the past couple months I’ve reached some deeper clarity when it comes to the nature of this fundraising and what to expect from myself and what to expect from viewers. The simple truth is that I cannot make certain numbers happen. I don’t control who shows up to a fundraising stream, how many people show up, or how much money those people can contribute. What I can do is put all of myself into creating the best possible catalyst for viewers to feel motivated to donate, and that is exactly what I did. To then feel dissatisfied or dejected because of not reaching a particular dollar amount is not only unkind to myself and viewers, but is actually pretty silly.

I want to give encouragement to others who have fundraised or are considering fundraising that hitting goals, while being an incredibly meaningful thing, is not the entire point of fundraising. Bringing all you have to offer, motivating viewers to get passionate about a cause and to give generously to it, and raising whatever amount you are able to raise in that particular campaign, those things mean more than any one number and honor the spirit and mission of St. Jude in a way that transcends dollars and cents.

THAT SAID- while numbers aren’t the most important things, they can absolutely be cause for celebration, and we most certainly have a cause for celebration this year. Between my five Play Live campaigns, the 88bitmusic community has collectively raised over $250,000 for St. Jude, a seriously staggering achievement and easily the thing I am most proud of and humbled by in my life thus far. To each and every one of you who has donated, whether $5 or $5,000, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your generosity and for opening your heart to this incredibly important cause. I know the children, families, and staff of St. Jude all feel just as grateful to you as I do, and you should feel proud of your decision to give.

And with that, this year’s fundraising is wrapped up. I’m excited to dive back into regular streams for you and I hope to see you there tonight!

-Trevor