Children and family are at the heart of Best & Less and Starlight
When the two organisations first came together in 2022, there was an instant connection on culture and purpose.
Best & Less was looking for a partner who share similar values and was working to create a positive impact in the lives of children and families. Happiness and positivity underpin everything Starlight does, so it was a perfect match! The Partnership was immediately embraced by Best & Less employees, partners and customers.
“Best & Less is a brand loved by families across Australia and to align with such a trusted children’s charity as Starlight, we knew the partnership would resonate and we’d be able to achieve so much together,” Best & Less CEO, Ray Itaoui commented.
With the Best & Less customers wholeheartedly supporting our annual Christmas fundraising campaign since 2022, more than $750,000 was raised to help grant over 100 life-changing Starlight Wishes! Every wish is a gift of happiness, a once in a lifetime experience helping to positively distract sick kids from the world of hospitals and treatments, while creating lasting memories with their families.
To enhance wish experiences, Best & Less has also donated merchandise including AFL jerseys for kids going to see their favourite teams play live.
Throughout the year, they have donated various auction prizes for our major fundraising events, helping us to raise even more money to bring vital happiness to sick kids.
The success of the partnership is a result of the passion and enthusiasm of the whole Best & Less team - from the CEO to the Marketing team, to the store sales staff known as ‘The Besties’- who bring so much joy and sparkle to the campaign.
The Besties go above and beyond to encourage customers to support Starlight and some even share their own personal stories about the lasting impact Starlight creates.
Both Best & Less and Starlight work together tirelessly to collaborate on campaign messages, collateral designs, and all the campaign implementation details. By promoting the campaign through their web site, social media, email and in-store, Best & Less has helped Starlight to connect with more people, bringing our mission and our work to the forefront of their network, especially to their customers, who are integral to the success of the campaigns.
2024 marks the third year of the Christmas campaign, and Ray Itaoui says,
“I’m a big supporter of Starlight Children’s Foundation, and everyone at Best & Less is delighted to once again be part of this wonderful campaign to help bring joy to many more sick kids and their families.”
Thanks to the amazing Best & Less customers, they have been breaking their fundraising record for us each year since the first year of the partnership. In 2024, they raised a phenomenal amount of $300,432.65, an all-time record!! The Best & Less team set themselves a clear target at the start of the campaign and rolled out a comprehensive communication plan to all stores and their staff, including a regular update on the fundraising progress (and the number of children they’re helping) to keep everyone motivated, and a clear instore promotional display plan and customer messages to drive fundraising.
Team members say that hearing real-life stories of seriously ill children and the impact every Starlight Wish creates inspires them to get behind the campaign. Feedback from staff is overwhelmingly positive and the partnership has helped build a strong sense of pride.
As we continue to build and strengthen this wonderful partnership, we are exploring more ways to work together to bring even more positivity and happiness to sick kids.
We are so thankful to have the wonderful Best & Less community on team Starlight helping to bring vital happiness to seriously ill children and their families across Australia.