Madeira Friends buy playstation games for local NGO that supports kids and families with cancer for Christmas
Year 2023
Every December, as the festive lights brighten Madeira’s streets, a quieter tradition has been growing — one rooted in kindness, solidarity, and meaningful impact. For the third year in a row, the international community, led by Madeira Friends, came together to support Acreditar, the Portuguese association that assists children with cancer and their families.
It began in 2021, when Madeira Friends launched a holiday donation campaign focused on collecting toys for children supported by Acreditar. What started as a small act of compassion quickly grew into something powerful, uniting locals, expats, and digital nomads around a shared cause.
In 2022, the initiative returned — this time with a focus on books, encouraging the community to contribute gifts that would inspire imagination, comfort, and learning during treatment and recovery. The donations helped fill Acreditar’s shelves with stories that offered both escape and joy to children facing difficult realities.
In 2023, the campaign adapted once more — gathering PlayStation games to provide a fun and interactive way for children and teens in treatment to experience moments of joy and distraction. As cancer treatment often requires long hours in hospitals or recovery rooms, these digital games were chosen specifically to bring entertainment and comfort into their everyday lives.
All three campaigns were run in direct support of Acreditar, reinforcing the international community’s commitment to standing with families affected by childhood cancer — not just once, but year after year.
And the spirit of togetherness didn’t stop there.
During Christmas 2023, Madeira Friends also hosted the third edition of No_mad alone at Pestana CR7 Funchal hotel, a heartfelt holiday gathering for those spending the festive season far from their home countries or families. Created as a way to ensure no one felt isolated during this time of year, the event offered food, music, laughter, and new friendships — reminding everyone that community can be found, even far from home.
