As someone who has already experienced one or two Fundraising campaign I think it's great when streamers come together to do good together. I have never taken part in Raid4Aid myself and was not familiar with the campaign, but when I received a message from organization member "Schnibbly" asking me if I would like to take part in the campaign, I visited the R4A website and gained a lot of interesting insights into this event.
Raid4Aid, which takes place on Twitch every year during the Advent season - always on the first Advent to be precise - and was created by the streamer Letsplaypink, has particularly impressed me as a recurring charity event. So much so that I would like to present it in my SPIELECHECK category "Great people on the internet".
Every event has its own story, and the story behind Raid4Aid is worth a closer look behind the scenes. That's why I asked Letsplaypink, the founder of the project, for valuable insights into the creation and development of her special project in a short interview.
Questions and answers that shed more light on the success of Raid4Aid
Charity events thrive on the stories of their founders. To better understand what drives Raid4Aid, what the highs and challenges are, I spoke to Letsplaypink. It quickly became clear that there is a lot of passion and a passionate community behind the event.
SimplyTommy: "Dear Letsplaypink, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions - it's worth finding out a bit more here. Was there a particular moment that gave you the idea for R4A? "What was the spark behind Raid4Aid?"
Letsplaypink: "Hey Tommy! Thanks for the interview. Raid4Aid started in 2018 without a real name. I started a donation stream all by myself, back then for the animal shelter in Braunschweig, where I raised 1,111 euros. The spark that got me started was the fact that, as a streamer, I kept receiving monetary support from my community over the months. So why not give something back to someone who could really use it? And since I'm a mother of four cats myself, animals and animal welfare are particularly close to my heart."
SimplyTommy: "Raid4Aid has grown a lot in the meantime, but hand on heart, was there ever a point where you thought: Help, this is now a bit bigger than planned?"
Letsplaypink: "Oh yes! Everything suddenly got a lot bigger last year! With almost 120 streamers taking part in 2024, getting everything under one roof, including going live on the homepage, there were one or two moments that were a little overwhelming. But as I'm no longer alone with everything, but now have a strong, animal-loving and talented team behind me, these worries were only in my head for a short time."
SimplyTommy: "What was the craziest, most beautiful or most unexpected action that streamers have carried out to raise funds for your animal projects?"
Letsplaypink: "It's actually difficult to say, as we had an incredible number of activities and wonderful moments. Shaved heads, waxed legs and singing funny songs are particularly memorable! One year, a streamer even wrote and performed a little rap song about Raid4Aid. Donations Technically, the most amazing moment was when we received a single donation of exactly 10,000 euros from a private individual. We were all totally speechless and had tears in our eyes. We will all never forget that."
SimplyTommy: "What are the biggest challenges when organizing a charity event where hundreds of streamers stand up for a common cause at the same time? "Were there ever any doubts?"
Letsplaypink: "There are always doubts. Can I manage it all? How do I fit the organization into my everyday life? The biggest challenge is to acquire even more participants for the good cause every year. We want to become THE fundraising event with the most participants. So that even more money is raised for animals in need. And every year we get a little closer to this goal. That's why we're appealing to you here too: If you are a streamer, please join us!"
SimplyTommy: "What experience or story from Raid4Aid has shown you personally the most that it's worth it to keep going every year? Is there a special moment that still makes you smile and tell yourself: "This is exactly why I'm doing this!" ?"
Letsplaypink: "Every year we visit the animal shelters / organizations in advance to get an impression and take photos and videos. The stories we hear there and what the money is actually needed for often breaks my heart. But then to see how it was used and what good we were able to do for the animals with it is exactly THE incentive to keep it growing every year and to work even harder."
SimplyTommy: "Dear Letsplaypink, thank you very much for sharing an impressive insight into your passion project with us. I am delighted that SPIELECHECK can be a platform to support you in this."
From the beginnings to great successes
Raid4Aid has taken place every year on 1 Advent since 2018 and has developed from a small donation stream into a fixed date in the Twitch community. While various topics were supported in the first few years, the decisive choice was made in 2020: the focus should be exclusively on animal welfare in the future. A new era began with the name "Raid4Aid", which not only brought more structure, but also helped to define the donation goals more clearly and achieve a more sustainable impact. This step was a milestone, as it made it possible to focus our efforts on animals in need and thus further strengthen the trust of the community.
The growing support is clearly reflected in the figures: From the first 1,100 euros in 2018 to over 40,000 euros in 2024, donations have steadily increased. An impressive total of 63,250 euros has been raised so far, which has gone directly to animal shelters and organizations such as the Braunschweig animal shelter, Tierhilfe Wolfsburg and the Hildesheim animal shelter. The ambitious target for 2025 is 50,000 euros for T.I.E.R.E. e. V. and the Uhlenkrog animal shelter. Even if media attention was never the main focus, selected press reports impressively document the impact of the donations - and underline the fact that transparency and honesty are just as important to Raid4Aid as the sums raised themselves.
Last but not least - Raid4Aid at a glance for the year 2025
Raid4Aid (R4A) is an annual charity event that always takes place on Twitch on the 1st of Advent. This year, the event kicks off on November 30, 2025 - and from 10 a.m. there will be gaming, collecting, laughing and raiding.
All proceeds go to carefully selected projects and organizations that are primarily dedicated to animal welfare. The focus is on transparency and trust. That is why animal shelters and facilities are visited in advance every year and the impressions are passed on directly to the community.
If you would also like to stream, raise money and become part of this special event, you will find all the information and the opportunity to register directly on the official website. Participation is uncomplicated and the organizers provide support with instructions, material and strong communities that support each other.
With this in mind, I wish you every success. I will put together a collection of links to the charity event here at the end...
It is precisely this mixture of personal passion, steady growth and tangible impact that makes Raid4Aid so special. What once began as a spontaneous donation stream has developed into a permanent flagship project that proves year after year how strong the gaming community can be when it comes to a good cause. One thing is clear to me: Raid4Aid is not just an event, but a living example of how joint commitment on Twitch can bring about real change - and that is precisely why it has more than earned its place in my SPIELECHECK series "Great people on the internet".
