Cherry’s 24 Hour Charity Stream: From One Wild Dare to $325,000 Raised (and Counting)

24 Hour Charity Stream – Fundraising Update Dec 5th 🎄

For this year’s stream, we’re already off to a great start. Thanks to early donations and spots snapped up in our fundraising breaks, we’ve raised $3,220 so far — and we’re only just getting warmed up. ❤️

To keep the momentum going, we’ve now listed new 24 Hour Stream fundraising box openings on the site. Every spot contributes directly to the total we’ll announce during the stream and helps put more gifts under the tree for families doing it tough this Christmas.

If you’d like to get involved, the easiest way is to:

• Grab a spot in one of our charity breaks

• Share the stream and breaks with friends or fellow collectors

We’ll keep updating this page as the total climbs, and we can’t wait to celebrate another huge milestone with the Cherry community when we go live for 24 hours. 🙌

Five years ago, someone in the chat threw down a challenge:
“Could you guys stream for 24 hours straight?”

It sounded a bit ridiculous… so of course we said yes.

What started as a wild idea has become one of the most important days on the Cherry calendar. Since that first 24 Hour Stream in 2020, the Cherry community has helped raise over $325,000 for the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal and The Salvation Army, putting toys and essentials into the hands of kids who would otherwise go without on Christmas morning.

This December, we’re doing it all again—and this year, we’re aiming to push our lifetime total past $360,000 and give thousands of kids something to smile about on Christmas morning.

And we’d love you—collectors, brands and partners—to be part of it.

How It Started: Packs, Toys and a Big Idea

Cherry has been supporting the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal for a long time. Back in 2012, we began using the sale of special Cherry Packs to raise money that we’d then take to Kmart and turn into toys for kids in need. Over the years, with the help of collectors, that added up to thousands and thousands of dollars in donations. (Cherry Collectables)

In 2020, we took things to another level. Inspired by Blake’s legendary long opening sessions, we launched the first-ever 24 Hour Charity Stream:

• Blake went live for just over 24 hours straight, busting boxes, chatting with collectors, and taking donations.

• The community absolutely smashed it—raising almost $55,000 for the Kmart Wishing Tree and The Salvation Army in that first year alone.

Since then, the 24 Hour Stream has grown into a proper hobby landmark: a full day (and night) of box openings, giveaways, chaos and kindness from collectors all around Australia and overseas.

What the 24 Hour Stream Looks Like Today

These days, our 24 Hour Charity Stream is:

• 24 hours of live openings across sports, Pokémon, entertainment and TCG

• A global audience of collectors jumping in from across Australia and around the world

• A mix of fundraising, raffles, giveaways and donation drives

• Cherry staff and guests rotating in (and slowly losing their grip on what time it is)

But underneath the memes and monster hits, the purpose is simple:
Use the hobby we love to make Christmas better for kids doing it tough.

Each year, the funds raised go towards toys, gifts and support through the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal and The Salvation Army—getting real, tangible help to families who need it most.

Our Impact So Far

Across five years of 24 Hour Streams the Cherry community has:

• Raised over $325,000 for charity, with the 24 Hour Stream as the centrepiece

• Delivered thousands of toys and gifts to kids who might otherwise miss out

• Been recognised by partners like Kmart and community organisations for ongoing support

This year, our goal is to push our cumulative total beyond $360,000 raised over the life of the 24 Hour Stream. Every spot, every donation, every shared link helps get us there.

How Collectors Can Get Involved This Year

We’ve made it easy for collectors to jump in and help—without missing out on the fun of ripping packs.

1. Grab a spot in our fundraising live openings

During the 24 Hour Stream, we’ll be running special fundraising openings where a portion (or in some cases, all) of the proceeds goes directly to the cause.

By grabbing a spot you:

• Get to be part of one of the most chaotic, legendary live streams of the year

• Have a shot at big hits and fan-favourite products

• Help raise funds that turn into toys and support for kids at Christmas

You’ll be able to find these live openings clearly marked on the Cherry site in the lead-up to the stream.

2. Show up, share and support

Even if you can’t grab a spot, you can still make a difference by:

• Watching and sharing the stream with friends, family and hobby groups

• Hanging out in chat, keeping the energy high and encouraging donations
  

No matter the size of your contribution, you’re part of the total that turns into smiles on Christmas morning.

How Brands & Corporate Partners Can Help

The 24 Hour Stream isn’t just a Cherry thing—it’s a hobby-wide effort, and we’re always looking for partners who want to do good alongside the collecting community.

If you’re a brand, corporate sponsor or industry partner, here are a few ways you can get involved:

• Sponsor an hour or segment of the stream

  • Branded live segments, special guest appearances or themed hours

• Provide product or prizes

  • Boxes, memorabilia, gift cards or unique experiences that we can use for fundraising live shows, auctions or raffles

• Promote the stream to your audience

  • Help amplify the message via your email, socials or in-store channels

If you’re interested in supporting the 24 Hour Charity Stream as a sponsor or partner, reach out to the Cherry team and we’ll share the partnership options for this year’s event. email us at c.oxley@cherrycollectables.com.au

Looking Ahead: Help Us Push Past $360,000

From a simple dare—“Can you stream for 24 hours straight?”—to hundreds of thousands of dollars raised and thousands of kids helped, the 24 Hour Charity Stream is one of the things we’re proudest of at Cherry.

This year, with your help, we want to:

• Push our lifetime total past $360,000 raised

• Support more kids through the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal and The Salvation Army

• Show once again what the trading card community can do when it comes together

Whether you’re grabbing a spot in the live streams, tuning in to cheer us on, or exploring a sponsorship opportunity, thank you for being part of it.

One stream. 24 hours. Thousands of kids. Let’s see how far we can go this year.