PCCY is crowdfunding to keep kids cavity-free this spring break

You could say Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) is on a crowdfunding kick.

This past fall, the youth advocacy nonprofit hosted a first-of-its-kind Minecraft-themed fundraiser, bringing together hundreds of kids to play a computer game and raise up to $200,000 to start a tech fund for Philly public schools.

Now, it’s hoping to raise $25,000 by Friday for its annual Give Kids a Smile event, to be held over three weeks this spring. The event convenes dentists to provide free dental care to uninsured children ages 1 to 18.

PCCY also regularly operates a helpline for parents looking for low-cost dental care and reportedly connected 3,200 children with free dental care in Give Kids a Smile’s first 12 years. The org also hosts Give Kids Sight Day, which provides free vision care.

This is the nonprofit’s first attempt at crowdfunding for Give Kids a Smile, said ED Donna Cooper, and aims to make appointments for 1,000 kids.

As of Wednesday morning, the campaign had earned $6,023 toward its funding goal. There’s no clear backup plan yet: “We will have to huddle if we fall far short,” Cooper said.

We’ve seen similar first attempts fail, but it looks like PCCY is banking on some leftover holiday spirit. Help them out below.