Fundraising has always been an innovative practice. The most out-of-the-box ideas are always the most likely to raise funds. This goes all the way back to childhood. Nowadays, kids selling lemonade on a hot summer’s day basically seem like a dime a dozen. But when I was a kid, it wasn’t as common.

A lemonade stand was a technical yet overlooked violation of the law, but at the same time an effective way of raising money by supplying the thirsty masses with what they wanted. This type of innovative and original idea just goes to show that the things we’re most interested in have always been most likely to see our donations. It’s all about coming up with new ideas to engage interest.

That’s why this Thursday’s Red Nose Day, hosted by NBC, is going to be such an incredible fundraiser. Think of it as a modern day telethon.

Remember telethons? The “television” “marathons” that would run for hours or even days soliciting your calls and pledges for donations regarding a specific cause? Check out Clooney and some of your other favorite celebrities doing it for Haiti five years ago in 2010:

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The thing about telethons, however, is that they’ve been a dying breed of fundraising event over the past several years. Think about it—when was the last time you saw a legitimate telethon in the United States? Not for a good while.

Over in the United Kingdom it’s been a different story. The telethon has been evolving there. That’s where Red Nose Day all began and has been raising money for 30 years on the foundation that mass media and celebrities can play a significant role in supporting causes more efficiently.

Thrown by the non-profit organization Comic Relief, Red Nose Day aims to “raise funds” by “raising fun.”

This Thursday on NBC, we’ll get to see (and hopefully be a part of) funds being raised for impoverished children. At the same time, we’ll get to watch some of our favorite stars doing their things and putting smiles on our faces. The three hour special beginning at 8/7c will feature comedy, videos produced by Funny or Die, musical performances and some of your favorite Hollywood celebrities—all to raise money for 12 charity organizations that work to lift children out of poverty both globally and here in America.

Some of the stars that we’ll get to see perform and take part in the action include Will Ferrell, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jack Black, Coldplay, Neil Patrick Harris, the cast of the show Game of Thrones, and, if you can believe it, many more.

These people are going to be raising a ton of fun while calling for donations through the website, the app, or even innovative fundraising efforts of your own by offering you your very own fundraising kit and checklist.

There’s going to be a lot going on and of course we’re hoping to see a lot of money raised in the process to fund programs that address the immediate needs of children and young people living in poverty, such as: Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Children’s Health Fund; Feeding America; Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance; the Global Fund; LIFT; National Council of La Raza; National Urban League; Oxfam America; Save the Children and United Way.

Because the whole concept is the more fun everyone has, the more money they’ll raise for these kids—we’re hoping to see a lot of fun going on this Thursday.

There’s no innovation quite like combining a good time with a good cause.