The 14th annual Creations for Charity online fundraising initiative unites LEGO enthusiasts from around the world to help children in need.
Founded in 2009 by Nannan Zhang, Creations for Charity serves underprivileged children by raising money through an online marketplace featuring custom LEGO creations made by talented LEGO enthusiasts. The money raised goes toward the purchase of new LEGO sets which are distributed in schools, hospitals, shelters, and orphanages.
Toy Tales spoke with Zhang about the initiative. He shared, “Many underprivileged kids don’t have the opportunity to build with LEGO. The toy provides hours of play, it stimulates the imagination, and is a great learning tool. It helps create wonderful memories.” He continued, “LEGO has always been a hobby of mine and I’m involved with the online LEGO community. We figured it would be a great way to use our building skills for a meaningful impact.”
Creations for Charity has experienced significant growth since its early days. The campaign collected $2010 USD during its inaugural year in 2009. A record of $35,000 USD was set during the 2021 campaign. The success of last year’s fundraiser allowed the non-profit to donate new LEGO sets to over 15 locations around the world including Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Hungary, and the United States.
Zhang explained, “Over the years, we’ve grown in several capacities. The biggest growth has come as a result of the 24-hour livestreams run by our friends and colleagues at the Beyond the Brick YouTube channel. This is the ninth year of the livestream. It starts at noon eastern on Friday, November 25. You can learn more about this year’s event in a recent video on their channel.”
In an interview with Toy Tales in 2016, Zhang expressed, “We auction so many unique creations, from large-scale items to original theme-pack minifigs. The designers always create something special.”
The builds offered in the 2022 fundraising campaign are no exception. Zhang divulged, “This year we set a new record for the largest item ever sold. The set is called Buccaneer’s Dread. It was purchased for $9000 USD by Museu da Imaginação in Brazil. The builder will fly to the museum to personally set it up.”
The 2022 event wraps on November 30. People can support Creations for Charity in three ways: donate a custom LEGO build, purchase an item from its online marketplace, or make a financial donation through PayPal.
Learn more about Creations for Charity and its work to provide children in need with opportunities for play. You can also find the organization on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.
