#pinballistherapy Archives - Project Pinball

For Dean Grover

Project Pinball — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 19:31:45 +0000

Dedication Day #85

The 2nd of 7 for this part of our 12th Love Across America Tour and this one is extra meaningful. All dedications are truly all special in their own ways but this dedication had much more of an impact on those in the room.

Today we proudly placed pinball machine #85 at the Ronald McDonald House – Aurora House in Denver.

This dedication was especially meaningful because of the machine itself. The game is Dean Grover’s personal Spider-Man Home Edition prototype, a piece that carries a powerful story and legacy. It was a plain cabinet, parts, pieces, and a dream.

With the incredible support of Stern Pinball and Marco Specialties, we were able to add the official artwork so this prototype now feels just like the other Home Edition machines found around the nation. Moments like this remind us why our mission matters. By placing pinball machines in children’s hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses nationwide, we aim to create small moments of joy, distraction, and connection for families facing incredibly difficult circumstances.

We are also deeply grateful to be in a position where these dedications can bring meaning and closure to the family and friends of loved ones who have passed and are dearly missed. Honoring their memory through something that brings smiles to others is one simple way we hope to help carry their legacy forward.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support this mission and make moments like this possible.

2023 Re-Dedication of Iron Man to Children’s Colorado

This one is another one for you, Dean Grover!

We all miss you dearly and hope to continue adding to your legacy for years to come.

Click link below to see Dean’s 2026 Plaque that was placed on Spidey!

Dean Grover Plaque

You can always stay up to date quickly by bookmarking our Raffles Page and/or subscribing to our emails with this link:

https://mailchimp/project-pinball-charity-social-media-and-email-signup

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https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectPinballCharity/featured

Subscribe with the link above to not miss this or any other live drawings in the future.

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As always, all proceeds benefit the mission of Project Pinball Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Your support is appreciated, please share, & good luck!

Thank you for supporting pinball therapy in Children’s Hospitals and Ronald McDonald House Charities – every dollar counts!

For questions please email the Project Pinball Charity Team at projectpinballcharity@gmail.com or fill out the form below – thanks!

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Dedication Day & How It Came To Be

Project Pinball — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 18:33:25 +0000

Dedication Day #84

The 1st of 7 for this part of our 12th Love Across America Tour!

To think, that this is the conversation that started it all!

It really can be this easy, all it takes is 1 email to get the ball rolling! Special thank you to Andrei Massenkoff and his Mandalorian pinball machine! Also, huge thank you to Matthew from Lynn’s Arcade for all of his help!

“I am a Child Life schoolteacher at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital at Mission Bay. I also happen to be a pinball expert and former World Pinball Champion.

I recently won a pinball competition and a brand new Star Wars Mandalorian pinball machine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f08C9JHR3s) from Stern Pinball in Chicago, and I wish to donate it to your hospital for your department’s use through the Project Pinball Charity (https://projectpinball.org/about/) that placed a new pinball machine here at UCSF in 2016. The game would come at no cost, and Project Pinball would oversee the game’s repairs/maintenance, also at zero cost, as they’ve been doing for our UCSF pinball machine for almost a decade now.

We have found here at UCSF that a pinball game is a unique and exceptional Child Life offering, fulfilling many of the goals of Child Life, including play and distraction. And pinball machines are very easy to play, requiring only the light pressing of two buttons to play and to enter a world under glass, populated with many opportunities for excitement, success, and most of all, fun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Rit8JghH3E

Even patients and family members with the use of only one hand or limb are able to play a pinball machine on one side, with a partner controlling the other flipper button. And of course, the Mandalorian title I won has a lot of popular appeal, with its Star Wars storytelling, and a “Baby Yoda” figure inside and central to the game.

I’ve CC’d Daniel Spolar here, the Founder and Director of the Project Pinball charity. He and I can help you assess if a pinball machine would be the right sort of Child Life offering for Lucile Packard Children’s, most likely in a Child Life programming space. Additionally, you can feel free to reach out to Child Life here at UCSF to see how the Project Pinball Star Trek machine has benefited our patients and families over the last nine years. Dan also has some materials that can help you assess where a pinball machine might fit (including a mat he can send you that would show you the exact “footprint” a pinball machine would have at Lucile Packard Children’s), plus lots of other ideas about how and why this free, no hassle, pinball machine could be a great benefit to patients and families at your hospital.

I’d also be very glad to personally introduce this new pinball game to Lucile Packard Children’s if you choose to accept this donation. Please let us know us you have an interest in this brand new pinball game.”

Thank you,

Andrei

This one is for you, Dan Coyle; we are all thinking about you!

You can always stay up to date quickly by bookmarking our Raffles Page and/or subscribing to our emails with this link:

https://mailchimp/project-pinball-charity-social-media-and-email-signup

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https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectPinballCharity/featured

Subscribe with the link above to not miss this or any other live drawings in the future.

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As always, all proceeds benefit the mission of Project Pinball Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Your support is appreciated, please share, & good luck!

Thank you for supporting pinball therapy in Children’s Hospitals and Ronald McDonald House Charities – every dollar counts!

For questions please email the Project Pinball Charity Team at projectpinballcharity@gmail.com or fill out the form below – thanks!

The post Dedication Day & How It Came To Be appeared first on Project Pinball.

Pinball Is More Than A Game

Project Pinball — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 06:50:55 +0000

Pinball Is More Than A Game

We understand that not everyone immediately recognizes the value of our work, and we welcome the opportunity to respectfully clarify our mission and purpose for those who may not yet be familiar with its impact.

As a nationally recognized nonprofit organization, our work is grounded in a sincere commitment to strengthening communities. We view pinball as more than a game—it is a powerful tool for connection, stress relief, and therapeutic benefit. Both research and lived experience demonstrate that interactive play can reduce anxiety, elevate mood, and create meaningful moments of focus and joy—sometimes in just a single game.

Our mission is to make this experience accessible to all, especially individuals who may not otherwise have the opportunity. We partner with communities, healthcare facilities, schools, and outreach programs because we believe that joy, inclusion, and relief from everyday stress should be available to everyone—not treated as a luxury.

We are driven by a deep commitment to the people we serve and by the measurable positive impact this work has on their well-being. While perspectives may vary, our outcomes, partnerships, and national recognition affirm the legitimacy and importance of our mission.

We remain proud of the work we do and the lives we positively influence each day.

You can always stay up to date quickly by bookmarking our Raffles Page and/or subscribing to our emails with this link:

https://mailchimp/project-pinball-charity-social-media-and-email-signup

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Once again we are grateful for the Pokémon Universe for this incredible display of support today.

Pokémon LE Parts 1-3 will be drawn live on Sunday at 8 PM EST!

https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectPinballCharity/featured

Subscribe with the link above to not miss this or any other live drawings in the future.

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As always, all proceeds benefit the mission of Project Pinball Charity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Your support is appreciated, please share, & good luck!

Thank you for supporting pinball therapy in Children’s Hospitals and Ronald McDonald House Charities – every dollar counts!

For questions please email the Project Pinball Charity Team at projectpinballcharity@gmail.com or fill out the form below – thanks!

The post Pinball Is More Than A Game appeared first on Project Pinball.

Pinball For A Purpose

Project Pinball — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:56:18 +0000

🎯 Pinball for a Purpose- 13th Annual Love Across America Tour

Join us for the 13th Annual Love Across America Tour, where flashing lights, ringing bells, and high scores come together to make a real difference in our community.

This exciting charity multi-month event transforms a country into a community with vibrant arcade experiences featuring a curated lineup of vintage classics and modern pinball machines for the purpose of fundraising. Whether you’re a seasoned pinball wizard or a first-time player, every flip of the flipper helps support our mission. On our Tour, many supporters will also have the opportunity to experience the pure joy of dedicating pinball machines to locations that we have been working with over the past year.

Throughout the tour, guests can:

Play pinball with our Team
Attend pinball machine dedications as our special guests
Compete in friendly tournaments with prize giveaways
Purchase raffle tickets for exclusive pinball machine prizes
Learn more about our charity’s impact and community programs
Contribute directly through on-site donations- https://projectpinball.org/donate/

All proceeds from these events go directly toward supporting Project Pinball Charity and our work in Children’s Hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, and more!

Bring your friends, bring your family, and bring your competitive spirit — because when we play together, we make a difference together.

Game on. Give back. Make an impact.

And this… This is WHY we do it!

Thank you for supporting pinball therapy in Children’s Hospitals and Ronald McDonald House Charities – every dollar counts!

Where can we expect to see you?!

Part 1: San Antonio, Tucson, Riverside, Palo Alto, Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas

Part 2: Durham, Marlborough, New Haven, Staten Island, Pittsburgh, Columbus,
Peoria, Eagan, Tiffin, and MORE!

For questions please email the Project Pinball Charity Team at projectpinballcharity@gmail.com or fill out the form below – thanks!

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