Camp Sunshine

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Located on the shore of Sebago Lake, Maine. Camp Sunshine provides children with life-threatening illnesses and their immediate families hope for the future, as well as immediate help in dealing with a child's chronic illness. The camp is currently the only program in the nation aids in lightening the impact of a life threatening illness on a person's entire immediate family, not just the person with the illness.

[edit] History

Founded in 1984, Camp Sunshine is located directly off Sebago Lake, Maine - next to Point Sebago Resort. Originally, the camp was opened after Dr. Larry and Anna Gould, owners of Point Sebago, dedicated some buildings and assigned their staff for the camp’s operation four weeks out of every year. Since then, the camp has grown into its own full-time organization. Officially opened in June 2001, the new facilities are built on top of 15 acres of land located off the shore of Sebago Lake. The entire staff, with the exception of a few key personnel, is made up entirely of volunteers.

[edit] Sessions

A Camp Sunshine session, lasting about a week long, helps a group of families with a specific chronic illness. With illnesses ranging from cancer, to blood disorders, to transplant patients, Camp Sunshine is able to help each family by providing services to both the parents and children.

Children are assigned to day-camps, where they are able to laugh and play with other children with the same disorder. This helps them discover that there are other people out there like them, forming lasting friendships with people across the United States.

Parents often get involved with parent-support groups, informational sessions, or lectures by doctors working with the specific chronic illness.

Each night, children and parents are able to come together and take part in a different event. Popular night events include talent shows, dance parties, and magic shows. There is also a parents-only dinner and a bonfire or movie night for the children.

Each session ends with the launch of a "wish-boat" for each family. Wish-boats are built by the children on one day of their day camps. A candle is lit at the center of the boat before it is sailed out into the middle of a small pond. Children, and parents, are encouraged to make a wish as each boat is sailed out.

There is also a field trip thing for children and teens disadvantaged from the Carteret County Parks & Recreation in Morehead City, North Carolina called Camp Sunshine although they don't actually go to camp.

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[edit] External Links

Camp Sunshine Homepage