The holiday season is just around the corner, and our colleagues at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals Foundation are kicking off their annual Project Cheer fundraiser — a much-loved program that brings joy, comfort and a sense of normalcy to pediatric patients and their families during the holidays.

Each year, the Child Life team hosts a special holiday toy store where parents at the Oakland and San Francisco hospitals can choose gifts for their hospitalized children and siblings at no cost. This thoughtful tradition helps ease financial and emotional burdens, allowing families to focus on what matters most: healing.

All UCOP employees are invited to help spread some seasonal magic!

Participate in three easy ways

1. Join the virtual toy drive

Make an online donation — or start your own crowdfunding page to share with friends and family — to help raise funds for purchasing toys. This year’s goal is to raise $50,000 and launch 50 crowdfunding pages. Donate or start a page.

2. Collect toys and deliver joy

Add a few extra gifts to your holiday shopping list, or coordinate a toy drive with colleagues. All new toys collected will go directly to patients and their siblings. The big toy drop-off day is Dec. 13, 2025, with curbside volunteers available at both hospital locations to make unloading easy. Get the full details on hospital toy guidelines, as well as hospital drop-off times and locations.

3. Shop Project Cheer’s Amazon wish lists

Another easy way to help is to shop from the team’s curated Amazon Wish Lists, created by staff to meet the unique needs of children receiving care during the holidays. Items ship directly to the hospital — no delivery required. Check out the wish lists.

For questions, contact Nicole Trierweiler

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