Donate and win: Light Up Jo’s Birthday with Lumos!

by · July 2, 2013

In honor of J.K. Rowling’s 48th birthday, the creators of last year’s “Light Up Jo’s Birthday with Lumos” fundraiser have decided to raise even more money for the author’s charity. Lumos was founded by Rowling in 2005 after seeing an article in the paper that reported on institutionalized children. Moved by the shocking conditions and treatment of these children, she felt compelled to do something.

Light Up Jo’s Birthday raised 1000 GBP for Lumos in 2012 and received a letter from the CEO of Lumos, thanking the fundraiser and providing a brief note from Rowling, thanking the fans who donated in honor of her birthday, stating that it was the best gift she had ever received.

Now the important part! How can you become a part of this celebration and make a difference in a child’s life? By donating even one dollar (or pound, if you’re in the UK), you can help provide funds to further support the charity in its endeavors to end the institutionalization of children. The funds from last year were used in Moldova to set up an accessible school for children with disabilities, trained teachers to work with them, and raised awareness in the local Moldovan community.

In addition to donating funds to Lumos through the birthday fundraiser, every person who donates will be entered in a prize drawing to win some pretty spectacular and rare, one-of-a-kind items like autographed photos of Matt Lewis, Warwick Davis, and Maggie Smith, a signed copy of Melissa Anelli’s book, Harry, A History, or a tweet from Evanna Lynch.

For those who donate 5 GBP or more, an additional entry will be given a chance to win a signed copy of J.K. Rowling’s The Casual Vacancy or an exclusive set of photos, taken by Steve Kloves, of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint at the Deathly Hallows Part 2 premiere.

To learn more about Lumos, you can visit their website. To donate as part of this year’s birthday fundraiser, head over to the donation page and click “Donate Now.” There are also some great graphics you can download and use to help spread the word about the fundraiser.

Don’t forget to check out the FAQs posted before you donate so you understand the rules. The prize drawing is open to everyone, in any location across the world.