GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENINGMICHAEL KATZ — EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

As my first official year as Executive Director comes to a close, I can’t help but wonder where the time went. It was a year that saw so many special people step up and do amazing things, a year of landmark events beyond belief, a year of staff members assuming more responsibilities, a year of continued compassion from our many volunteers and most importantly a year of unbelievable courage from Camp Sunshine families.

The program gained some additional momentum with the help of new corporate donors, McKesson and Party City… both giving generously to Camp. We were also fortunate to be selected as the charity of choice of movie star Anton Yelchin, who will be playing Chekov in the new Star Trek movie. As Anton’s charity, Camp Sunshine will be a recipient of a portion of the proceeds from a fundraising contest by Omaze and Paramount pictures. The winner of the contest won a walk-on role in the new Star Trek movie.

Other awe-inspiring events included the SEALs for Sunshine event, in which four courageous Navy SEALs and one Coast Guardsman tackled a grueling 11-hour wacky reverse triathlon including a race down Mt. Washington for 7.5 miles, an 84-mile bike trek to Camp Mataponi (I was exhausted just following them in the Camp van!), and a 4-mile Sebago Lake swim to Camp Sunshine, where they exited the water to the cheers of adoring Camp Sunshine families.

Another test of endurance was Tropical Smoothie Café C.E.O. Mike Rotundo’s walk across Manhattan in flip flops. He pushed a smoothie cart and handed

out smoothies to New Yorkers along the way, all to raise awareness and funds for Camp Sunshine. This event, in conjunction with Flip Flop Day and other Tropical Smoothie events, resulted in the record- breaking accomplishment of raising ONE MILLION DOLLARS… Thanks a million, Mike!

On the horizon… 2016 is already picking up where 2015 left off, with the “Cold Toes, Warm Hearts” tour. As Executive Director, I have the “cool opportunity” of celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Camp Sunshine Polar Dips by plunging in all TEN Camp Sunshine Freezin’ for a Reason events. Dips are planned from Virginia to Maine, and I am looking for anyone from the Camp Sunshine community who is willing to join me.

Another big anniversary is being celebrated, as the Migis Hotel Group, led by Tim, Joan, and Jed Porta, has pledged to raise $250,000 for Camp in celebration of Migis Lodge’s 100th Anniversary. They are planning to raise $2,500 for each year that they have been in operation. The Portas have and continue to be loyal supporters of Camp Sunshine! Plenty of great things are happening and plenty more are on the way... stay tuned!

- WINTER 2016 - - WINTER 2016 -

FAMILY VOLUNTEERSNANCY CINCOTTA, MSW, MPHIL — PSYCHOSOCIAL DIRECTOR

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTSCARLEY WILLIAMS, CCLS — ACTIVITIES SUPERVISOR

As Camp Sunshine has evolved, so has the concept of families volunteering and giving back to the community. They are a unique group, those who value what they have gained from the program enough to come back and serve others in similar situations. In so doing, they offer a very special gift, one which cannot be quantified.

What a family member who has participated in the the program can offer is the “lived” experience of having been there, not at the program, but in the trenches, at the hospital, in the examination room, in the operating room, and at those places of juxtaposition between the world of illness and the “previously normal” world.

When a new Camp family walks into the three doors, there is always a degree of anxiety, but what relief unfolds when the lifeguard is the parent of a child with a brain tumor, when the tot-lot lead counselor had a daughter with

What an entertaining year at Camp! This year, we were fortunate to have some really wonderful guests visit Camp and share their personal stories and special talents with us. Some highlights from the 2015 season included visits from Olympic luger and Maine native, Julia Clukey, Miss Maine & Miss Teen Maine USA, and players from the Portland Pirates, who played floor hockey with children and volunteers.

We also hosted the Cumberland County K-9 unit who came for a demonstration, Maine Red Claws players who hosted a basketball clinic, the Bubble Man who blew everyone way with his life-size bubbles, and the Eagle Bass Masters fishermen and Mountain View Woodies Boat Club, who helped Campers enjoy the beauty of Sebago Lake. Casco Fire and Rescue stopped by to show off their emergency vehicles, the infamous L.L. Bean Bootmobile arrived with fun

hepatoblastoma, when the volunteer serving your food is a bereaved parent who understands you as a bereaved parent, or when the counselor in the 6-8 group had a Wilms tumor (as do you). Healing becomes unavoidable.

In addition to the 120+ family members who came back to volunteer this year, there are also volunteer families who have newly found Camp Sunshine after their illness experiences. Invariably all those who come to help find solace and a sense of community at Camp Sunshine.

There are countless family stories to tell, but but the abundance of family volunteers this year has affirmed the knowledge that we are making a difference, one family at a time. There are so many families to applaud in 2015. As the numbers of families volunteering grows, so grows the uniqueness and strength of Camp Sunshine.

and games, Rick Charette entertained families and volunteers alike with great songs, the U.S. Marshal service let kids try on their equipment, and professional chefs from Culinary Corps spent a week teaching children how to create cuisine from around the world!

My favorite moment was when the Maine Wardens and film crew from North Woods Law made a visit to a devoted fan at Camp Sunshine who was here with his family during a summer Brain Tumor session. They surprised him just outside the three doors, and then took time out of their very busy schedules and talked to everyone else at Camp about about their daily duties, showed off their lights and sirens, posed for pictures, and signed autographs. There was something different every week at Camp Sunshine this summer, and always plenty of smiles!

When you talk about Family at Camp Sunshine, it is not always about family that is biologically based, but rather of a community-based nature. Family at Camp Sunshine comes to mean the people you meet, who share and understand your story, who applaud your children in the context of knowing the strengths and weaknesses imposed by illness. Family is about the people who understand how much the diagnosis turns you upside down and inside out, and how it changes you forever, in a way that gives you a different perspective on life.

Families grow to care about each other at Camp Sunshine, in ways that are difficult to explain. A mother sits in the parents’ group and explains, through laughter and tears, her worries as the mother of a child with a brain tumor, her concerns about not always being able to be at her son’s side

as he grows into a capable young man. A year later, in another group, phones start buzzing. The knowledge that something has happened in that child’s life, even hundreds of miles away, engages an unending network of support — one that starts in the parents’ group. A small ripple in the parents’ discussion group ignites an outpouring of concern.

Everyone who comes to Camp Sunshine wants or needs an avenue of support — and they often find what they need the most. Some people need to connect with their own family during their time at Camp, some people need to make a connection with someone else in the same situation, and yet others are interested in becoming part of a larger community. Whoever you are, Camp has broad enough shoulders that it can meet that need.

Going into my eighth year at the December Brain Tumor weekend, I started thinking about how nervous I was the first time I volunteered... how I didn’t know what to expect, wanted to make a good impression, and wanted to help people so much. By the end of the weekend, I was in love with Camp, had signed up for tbe February session, had plans to come back in the summer, and gained about fifty new Facebook friends.

I feel so lucky to be a volunteer here. I think people who have never experienced Camp think I’m performing some great altruistic act, but the truth is, Camp has changed my outlook on the world and made me a better person. I’ve learned

what strength and bravery looks like up close. I’ve cried and laughed (and laughed till I’ve cried) with some of the best people in the world and any given day I would 100% rather be at Camp than anywhere else in the world.

I always say to my non-Camp friends that this December weekend is my holiday celebration with my Camp family before I travel back to New York and have holiday celebrations with “real” family and it couldn’t be more true. The opportunity to recharge and hang out and play some great games in the Teen Room is welcome time away at the beginning of the holiday rush!

THE CAMP SUNSHINE FAMILYNANCY CINCOTTA, MSW, MPHIL — PSYCHOSOCIAL DIRECTOR

VOLUNTEER PERSPECTIVEMICHELE CAMISA — VOLUNTEER

- WINTER 2016 - - WINTER 2016 -

ONCOLOGY2/12 to 2/16

ONCOLOGY2/17 to 2/21

ONCOLOGY4/17 to 4/22

HEMATOLOGY-ONCOLOGY4/24 to 4/28

BEREAVEMENT5/12 to 5/15

MIXED DIAGNOSIS5/27 to 5/30

JOIN US THIS WINTER & SPRING!We are excited at the prospect of the 2016 season. The promise of the Winter and Spring sessions eagerly awaits. Please let all families who could benefit from a Camp Sunshine experience know about the program. Refer a friend today and visit our website to download an application!

WWW.CAMPSUNSHINE.ORG • INFO@CAMPSUNSHINE.ORGTEL - (207) 655-3800 • FAX - (207) 655-3825

35 Acadia RoadCasco, ME 04015

UPCOMING 2016 SESSIONS

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