To mark Sonic's 35th birthday, SEGA turned the franchise's biggest milestone into a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. On June 23, 2026, the exact anniversary of Sonic's 1991 debut, SEGA hosted a birthday livestream on the official Sonic YouTube and Twitch channels that doubled as a charity drive for St. Jude. Hosted by community creators with gameplay, music, and reveals throughout, the stream raised $55,500 for St. Jude. Pairing one of gaming's most recognizable characters with a family-focused cause, SEGA used community personalities to drive authentic engagement and real-time donations, a natural cause-marketing play built around a legacy brand anniversary.