Meet Blapple, Starlight Stream Stars’ Team Leader

Blapple’s Origin Story: Fundraising for Children’s Hospitals on Twitch

Starlight Twitch fundraiser BlackAppleCreative, also known as Blapple, was introduced to the organization while she was an employee at EB Games in Australia. Every August, Blapple showed up in full costume, standing outside the store with a donation bucket raising money for Starlight Australia.

When she later started streaming on Twitch, a US-based streamer reached out, asking her perspective on Starlight US.

Without hesitation, Blapple spoke to her wonderful experience with Starlight Australia. That single endorsement helped set something in motion.

Even though she’s based in Australia, Blapple started raising money for Starlight US through charity streams on Twitch. The platform is mainly US-based, and she knew charity streaming for Starlight US would help more hospitalized kids in need.

Five years later, she raised $10,835.81 to deliver happiness to hospitalized kids. In fact, she's being honored as one of Starlight’s 2026 Content Creators of the Year.

Today, Blapple is no longer at EB games, but is instead working as a medical scientist. What she sees in her day-to-day is why Starlight’s mission resonates with her so deeply.

For Blapple, Starlight's mission of delivering happiness to hospitalized kids is something she sees up close. As a medical scientist, she walks into a hospital and sees the reality of living with serious illnesses. She feels strongly about helping patients focus on play and fun to take their mind off their appointments.

Blapple points to the science and explains:

"Happiness linked to healing faster has been scientifically proven. It makes sense to distract kids from thinking about the medical side and focus on what provides happiness instead."

For Blapple, the knowledge that happiness can support healing is one reason she returns year after year. Another is the meaningful connections she has made along the way.

Blapple knows firsthand the power of joining a stream team – a group that unites and connects streamers to collaborate, co-stream, hang out and conduct events.

In 2020, Blapple co-began Stream Stars — a stream team of makers, crafters, gamers, and creators who rally together every year to fundraise for Starlight US.

Stream Stars’ first campaign alone brought together 90 people. And in the years since, the team continues to grow and has raised over $400,000 for Starlight.

One of the things Blapple is most proud of is what the team has become for the people in it — especially the smaller creators who might otherwise feel like they don't have enough reach to make a difference.

When charity streamers join Stream Stars, they don't have to raise a certain amount to belong. As they co-stream for charity, broadcasters show up, support the person streaming next to them, and make the ask when they can.

"Fundraising for charity on your own is scary," she says. "It’s easier when you have someone else to lean on. You make a bigger impact too, if 10 people are fundraising.”

That culture of mutual support has quietly created something that goes well beyond fundraising – meaningful connection and common purpose.