Big Day of Giving 2026
What happens when creativity meets community?
At ReCreate, discarded materials become inventions, art, and opportunity.
From kids building their first robot…
to volunteers discovering a passion for engineering…
to artists transforming waste into wonder.
Every donation helps unlock the next creative challenge and keeps the imagination going.
💚 Be Part of the Fun
This Big Day of Giving, your support does more than fund programs. It unlocks real-time creative challenges for our team.
As we reach each milestone, things get a little more exciting… and a little more fun!
🎯 Our Goal: $10,000
Help us reach our goal and unlock every level of the Junk 2 Genius challenge
$500 — Creative Kickoff
We share our favorite weird and wonderful reuse materials
$1,000 — Mystery Challenge
Can we identify reuse materials without seeing them?
$2,000 — Craft Robot Speed Build
Madeline builds a tiny robot using random materials from the studio
$3,000 — Cardboard Couture
Staff create and wear outrageous reuse fashion
$4,000 — Pie in the Face
A donor gets to choose who gets pied
$5,000 — Junk 2 Genius Mini Challenge
Build an invention using only reuse materials in 10 minutes
$7,500 — Eco-Friendly Slime
Someone gets slimed
$10,000 — The Genius Lab
A gallery reveal of community creations made from reused materials
Plus Emily wears green in her hair for a week
🌟 Featured Story
From Volunteer to Engineer
Ryan Trieu began his journey at ReCreate as a student on our STEAM Team.
He spent his time helping younger kids build inventions from reused materials and, along the way, discovered a passion for engineering.
Today, Ryan is studying engineering at Cal Poly.
When you support ReCreate, you help young makers discover paths they never imagined.
The next Ryan could be inventing something in our studio right now.
🎥 Voices from Our Community
Hear directly from our STEAM Team and community members about what ReCreate means to them.
Short video stories will be shared throughout the campaign, highlighting creativity, confidence, and the power of hands-on learning.
📅 Join Us
Big Day of Giving: May 7
Early Giving Begins: April 23
💡 Why It Matters
ReCreate is a place where:
Creativity is accessible
Materials are given a second life
Young people discover what they are capable of
Your support fuels programs that bring art, science, and sustainability together in ways that are joyful, hands-on, and transformative.
💚 Give. Share. Cheer Us On.
Be part of the creativity.
Be part of the community.
Help turn junk into genius.