Red Nose Day 2024 fights child poverty with the ‘whim’ of a candy castle, monster truck and Legos

NEW YORK — A life-sized edible cookie from the contest winner and a car-wrecking monster truck ride are two of the new prizes up for grabs in the Red Nose Day 2024 campaign, which kicks off on Thursday.

As Comic Relief’s fundraising initiative for American children in need enters its 10th year, the charity hopes to attract donations by encouraging the childlike wonder that millions of poor children stand to miss out on. First spread through clowns in Walgreens stores, the message is spreading this year through Instagram sing-alongs, sweepstakes and new partners like Lego.

It’s all an effort to “evoke the childhood dream of whimsy,” Alison Moore, CEO of Comic Relief USA, told the Associated Press.

In 2022, child poverty doubled in the United States as pandemic-era benefits expired, adding relevance to the mission. Since 2015, Red Nose Day has raised $370 million to fuel community food centers and fund local healthcare workers, among other anti-poverty measures around the world.

Through June 3, contributions on the Red Nose Day website will unlock a “Childhood Dreamstakes” entry for one of six experiences that hope to awaken the fantasy desires of youth. In addition to the cookie and truck, donors could win an edible cotton candy castle, a personalized hot air balloon ride, a giant model of a volcano eruption or “a trip to befriend a penguin.”

Planned with the help of creative agency Gus, the campaign hopes the “fun-filled moments” will highlight the importance of a “healthy, fruitful childhood” and “creating space to let kids be kids.”

“For us, it’s a reminder of the carefree happiness every child deserves and the childlike sense of fun and wonder that lies within all of us,” Gus co-founder Spencer LaVallee said in a statement.

Comic Relief US is once again counting on artists to raise awareness. Halftime skills challenges during the Harlem Globetrotters’ current tour feature a custom Red Nose Day basketball. Longtime partner NBC plans to commemorate the decade-long trip with a one-hour special on May 23, including the “The Voice” coaches John Legend, Chance the Rapper, Reba McEntire and Dan + Shay.

As in past years, Comic Relief is forgoing the physical red nose once available to Walgreens customers. The new feature is interactive filters that place digital filters on users’ faces on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat. Pets should even be able to wear a virtual red nose on the last two platforms.

While the bill & The Melinda Gates Foundation is again supporting the campaign, the momentum is also aided by first-of-its-kind corporate collaborations with some kid-focused brands. Geared toward field trips, Lego’s “The Biggest Build” challenge will invite students to design their dream communities at 14 museums across the country. Chuck E. Cheese stores are asking for full contributions at checkout this month and donating 20% ​​of participating sales on May 23.

Others in the philanthropic sector credit Comic Relief US for staying true to Red Nose Day over the past ten years. The tactic won’t work for all fundraisers, said Elevate Prize Foundation CEO Carolina Garcia Jayaram, who founded the nonprofit that supports social entrepreneurs.

But Jayaram said fundraising is about meeting people where they are — and comedy and popular culture have proven to be successful avenues for bringing attention to child poverty.

“There’s not enough money being pumped into these solutions,” Jayaram told the AP at the nonprofit’s annual Make Good Famous Summit on Wednesday. “I wish we didn’t all have to go out there and make great music and dance for all that money. But if it works, it works.”

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Associated Press writer Glenn Gamboa contributed reporting from Miami Beach, Florida.

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