Camp Sunshine Exceeds $14.5 Million Endowment & Capital Campaign Goal, Securing Future of National Retreat for Families with a Child Facing Life-Threatening Illness

Hermann Foundation’s $200,000 matching challenge inspires final push as one-of-a-kind Maine camp completes historic campaign

CASCO, Maine (July 16, 2013) – Camp Sunshine announced Tuesday that it has exceeded its $14.5 million goal in a historic and critical endowment and capital campaign that will help secure the future of the one-of-a-kind national retreat for families with a child facing life-threatening illness.

A $200,000 matching challenge offered by the Hermann Foundation inspired a final push over the past two months to help Camp Sunshine exceed the goal by the campaign’s June 30, 2013 end date. The final tally shows Camp Sunshine with gifts and commitments of $14,539,291.

“We express deepest thanks to all who invested in the future of Camp Sunshine and contributed to the success of this campaign, the largest fundraising effort in the history of the organization,” said Anna M. Gould, Co-Founder and Board Chair at Camp Sunshine.

Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org) founders Anna M. Gould and Dr. Lawrence Gould helped launch the Let The Sun Shine All Year Endowment & Capital Campaign in mid-2006 with a $2 million matching challenge. The goal of raising $14.5 million over the seven years that followed was intended to help expand the programs and enhance the campus at the nationally-recognized non-profit camp on Sebago Lake in Casco, Maine. Camp Sunshine remains the only program in the nation with the exclusive mission to provide a retreat for children with life-threatening illness and their entire families.

With the end of the campaign drawing near, the Hermann Foundation in May stepped up to match all donations of $100 or more, through the end of June. With the $200,000 match, The Hermann Foundation, created by the estate of noted philanthropist Francoise Hermann, ended up contributing a total of $500,000 to Camp Sunshine’s endowment.

“The incredible generosity of the Hermann Foundation, coupled with a feverish desire among many others to help Camp Sunshine secure its future, provided a final burst of support to put us over the top,” said Matthew M. Hoidal, Executive Director of Camp Sunshine. “We now move forward with an ongoing commitment to excellence, growth and enhancement.”

The endowment campaign has enabled Camp Sunshine to increase the number of sessions per year in which its unique program can be offered to families in need. Another main focus has been enhancing the campus through major capital projects to support the continued growth of the program year-round.

Camp Sunshine will celebrate its 30^th anniversary in 2014 and a new initiative will be unveiled at that time to mark the important milestone, Hoidal said.

For more information about Camp Sunshine’s programs and to learn more about volunteering or making a donation, visit the camp’s website at www.campsunshine.org or call (207) 655-3800.

Camp Sunshine operates year-round and provides week-long respites at no charge to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The camp offers the only program in the nation whose sole mission is to address the impact of cancer, kidney disease, lupus and other life-threatening illnesses on every member of the immediate family. The program includes 24-hour onsite medical and psychosocial support. While attending the various sessions, families are able to rebuild relationships together and meet other families facing similar challenges.

Dealing with emotional responses to an illness in a safe environment in the natural beauty of Maine, away from the stressful environment of the child’s treatment center, allows the entire family an invaluable therapeutic opportunity.

“By offering the opportunity to meet others who know exactly what it’s like to have a child who is ill, the camp creates a unique sense of community and connectedness that they can take a way with them when they leave, helping them to feel less isolated and giving them the strength to face their uncertain futures with hope,” Hoidal added.   

Camp Sunshine is located on 23 acres of donated land adjacent to Point Sebago Resort on beautiful Sebago Lake. Since its inception in 1984, Camp Sunshine has provided a haven for more than 40,500 individuals from 48 states and 22 countries.

About Camp Sunshine

Camp Sunshine is a year-round retreat, which provides respite, support, joy, and hope to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families through various stages of a child’s illness. The program is free of charge to all families, and includes 24-hour on-site medical and psychosocial support. Bereavement groups are also offered for families who have lost a child to an illness. To support Camp Sunshine, call (207) 655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org.

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