The Sunrise Association, established in 2006, offers day camps for children aged 3 1/2 to 16 with cancer. Pulling children out of the isolation and loneliness they often experience while in treatment, the Sunrise Association fills their summer with sunshine, fun activities, and laughter.
Sunrise Association day camps were the first in the world to serve children battling cancer at no cost to their families. Arnie Preminger, the founder, president, and CEO of the Sunrise Association, got the idea when he visited Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a sleep-away camp for children with life-threatening illnesses. Mr. Preminger realized that there were no summer day camps for children with cancer.
Starting with just one location in Long Island, New York, the Sunrise Association now operates nine locations. The day camps are in three locations in New York (Long Island, Pearl River, and Staten Island), three in Israel (Beit Yehoshuah, Be’er Sheva, and Ramat Yochanan), and one each in Baltimore, Maryland; Atlanta, Georgia; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Each camp is affiliated with a well-known hospital or medical center in the area.
The Sunrise Association day camps last the full summer, Monday through Friday, from approximately 9:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., although hours and days may vary by site. To accommodate working parents, children can stay extended hours with drop-off as early as 7:30 a.m. and pick-up as late as 6:30 p.m.
Since the camp takes place only during the day, the children return to the comfort and safety of their homes at night. The camps’ flexible attendance policies mean that campers can continue their scheduled medical treatments and attend camp according to their schedules.
All camp activities are designed for the enjoyment of chronically ill children, with the utmost care given to make the experiences fun and rewarding. The Sunrise Association also has a medical director, on-site pediatric oncology nurses, and additional physicians on call to provide expert medical care if needed. Each camp features a private, air-conditioned wellness center, where staff members can administer most medications and children can have a safe, comfortable space to cool down and relax. The camps have stand-by ambulances to provide rapid transportation to the nearest medical center if an emergency occurs.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the day camps went virtual, with engaging activities that kept kids engaged and entertained from the safety of their homes. The virtual camp consisted of a combination of videos and live sessions with camp staff. Virtual campers received regular care packages from Sunrise with supplies to allow them to engage in hands-on learning.
In addition to the day camps, the Sunrise Association has a program called “Sundays and Fun-days” that offers activities and events on days when school is not in session. The organization also has a program called “Sunrise on Wheels” that serves children undergoing treatment in pediatric oncology units at participating hospitals. Sunrise on Wheels takes entertaining activities to children’s hospital rooms to take their minds off their illnesses.
To learn more about the Sunrise Association’s day camps, donate, or become a volunteer, visit www.SunriseAssociation.org.
