Skip to content
JBS Show with Jamie Burchell
JBS Show with Jamie Burchell
70 episodes tracked since 2023 about →
Copied!

Interview with Project Pinball - Episode 49

PodcastAnalysis updated 4d ago1 hr 7 min listen
From the creator

Send us Fan Mail On a special Holiday podcast, Jamie sat down with Daniel Spolar and Taj Kniceley of Project Pinball. This charity is near and dear to our hearts and we are so excited to bring you...

Listen on JBS Show with Jamie Burchell

Highlights

  • Project Pinball currently has 81 pinball machines placed in facilities across the United States
  • The original Spider-Man machine in the oncology ward received 21,332 plays in 2.5 years (2009-2011)
  • 100% of funds raised in a local community stay in that community for that specific machine/location
  • Project Pinball placed 7 machines in 15 days across the United States in December 2020 during COVID-19
  • The charity has five operational phases: children's hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, assisted living facilities, rehabilitation services, and schools with special needs programs
  • Daniel Spoler's personal motivation stems from his son being diagnosed with leukemia when he was 14-15 years old
  • Taj Nicely's father died of cancer when she was nine years old and spent significant time in the hospital
  • The charity was incorporated and became officially registered in 2012-2013

Notable quotes

“I believe that is very much needed for a charity, especially nowadays...we really have to have people keep faith in us that we're going to do what we need to do through our pinball charity.”
Daniel Spoler
“Every dollar counts so yeah that's a thing in the beginning i'm not good at asking for money...I could see the look on their face that they're really upset that they can't give more to the charity but as taj was saying we feel that you know that is a treasure you know that's one more dollar that we did not have a moment ago”
Daniel Spoler
“I call them black hole charities because the money seemed to go in, but it was swallowed up, never to be seen again...I didn't feel good for my hard earned money.”
Daniel Spoler
“Your hard efforts are going right here to affect the people in your neighborhood in your community you know right down the street”
Daniel Spoler
“If I wear a mask, it's not for myself that I fear for it's for everybody around me and it got me thinking it's my responsibility to make sure that you know I'm taking care of the people around me”
Daniel Spoler
“I know that I knew nothing about leukemia other than it was a form of cancer and I needed to know more...And not saying that everybody's going through that, but I know that people are struggling in their own way.”
Daniel Spoler
“I just think, like, if he would have had something there to keep him busy and just to get up and do something, would that have helped him in any kind of way emotionally?”
Taj Nicely
“If anyone has ever seen a child playing a pinball machine that is struggling and fighting for their life and the joy in their face, this is why we're doing it.”
Jamie Burchell

Entities

  • Pinball Expo (Chicago)· event
  • Guardians of the Galaxy· game
  • Spider-Man· game
  • Fort Myers Beach, Florida· location
  • Chance for Hope· organization
  • Chrissy Brown Oncology Ward· organization
  • Electric Bat Arcade· organization
  • Galsanos Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida· organization
  • Hangar Pinball (Tulsa, Oklahoma)· organization
  • Helen DeVos Children's Hospital· organization
  • Nationwide Children's Hospital· organization
  • Project Pinball· organization
  • Ronald McDonald House (Columbus, Ohio)· organization
  • Starfighters Arcade· organization
  • Wormhole Pinball· organization
  • Daniel Spoler· person
  • Jamie Burchell· person
  • Sierra (Project Pinball staff)· person
  • Taj Nicely· person
  • VP Cavs / Brad (VP Cavs founder)· person|company

More from JBS Show with Jamie Burchell

→ All content from JBS Show with Jamie Burchell
Contact us about this coverage