# Robert Downey Jr online raffle raises $2 million for UK children’s hospice

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/04/09/robert-downey-jr-online-raffle-raises/
- Published: 2015-04-09T11:22:43+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The online raffle featuring the prize of a movie premiere evening in Los Angeles
with actor Robert Downey Jr has raised a record-breaking $2,048,605 gross for Julia’s
House, the Dorset and Wiltshire-based children’s hospice.**
This is the most successful
fundraising campaign yet run on the ‘celebrity experience’ fundraising raffle site
[Omaze](http://omaze.com).After campaign, merchandising and currency transaction
charges have been deducted, the charity will receive between £950,000 and £1 million.
The [Robert Downey Jr campaign on Omaze](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/2015/03/24/julias-house-hospice-offers-evening-with-robert-downey-jr-on-omaze-raffle-site/)
ran for a month, starting on 2 March.

UK Fundraising asked the charity’s CEO Martin Edwards about the campaign and why
it was so successful. He said:

> “Interestingly, although there was strong support from mainstream and entertainment
> media, almost all the marketing driving the sales was online, especially through
> Robert’s own Facebook page (24 million likes).
> “His team posted regular updates
> and promotional messages, including ‘chance to win other goodies if you enter 
> now’ type promotions, and a film about the Julia’s House children, in the last
> few days to maximize interest. You can still see these on his page”.
> 
> ## Advertisement
> 
>  [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/)
> Martin Edwards

 
He described the campaign as “brilliant and somewhat surreal”, adding that it 
was “great news for the new Wiltshire children’s hospice”.

![Robert Downey Jr's Facebook post announcing the $2m raised](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.
cloud/2021/04/robert-downey-jr-facebook-omaze-julias-house-20150407-1024x305.jpg)

Robert Downey Jr’s Facebook post announcing the $2m raised

Here was RDJ’s pitch at the beginning of the campaign:

Robert Downey Jr announces the campaign

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