| Formation: | 2013 |
| Type: | Nonprofit 501(C)(3) |
| Purpose: | Patient Rehabilitation |
| Headquarters: | Bonita Springs, FL |
| Key People: | Daniel Spolar |
| Project Pinball Charity | |
Project Pinball Charity is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that places pinball machines in children's hospitals and Ronald McDonald House Charities to provide recreational relief to patients, family members, and staff.[1] Operating out of Bonita Springs, Florida since 2011[2] Project Pinball Charity has donated the use of pinball machines to 69 children’s hospitals spanning 29 states.
Project Pinball Charity was founded on August 19, 2013 by Daniel Spolar.[3] Spolar noticed an inoperable 2007 Spider-Man Pinball Machine by Stern Pinball in Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida and offered to fix it. After repairing the machine and discovering it had been played over 21,300 times in two years, Spolar went on to found the Project Pinball Charity Group to assist other children's hospitals in their patient rehabilitation.[4] Since then they have been assisted by pinball manufacturers such as Stern,[5] Jersey Jack Pinball, and Visual Pinball to donate machines to 69 children’s hospitals in 29 states. In 2020 the charity's annual Love Across America Tour dedicated 8 machines in 14 days including one in Cincinnati, Ohio and another in Columbia, South Carolina.[6]
Project Pinball Charity has a Platinum rating from Guidestar.[7]
Project Pinball Charity has donated the use of 74 pinball machines placed in 69 children’s hospitals in 29 states including Children's Hospital Colorado, Sunrise Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, UNC Children's Hospital, Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baptist Hospital of Southeast Texas, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital and Medical Center of Omaha, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Advocate Children's Hospital, Palm Beach Children's Hospital, K.Hovnanian Children's Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Wesley Children's Hospital[8] and Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida.[9]