Gov. LePage Visits Families, Volunteers and Members of Maine Army National Guard, Proclaiming June 26, 2012 as Camp Sunshine Day in Maine

Camp Sunshine Co-Founder Anna Gould also recognizes Guard for hard work over years making improvements to Casco campus

CASCO, Maine (June 26, 2012) – Gov. Paul LePage and First Lady Ann LePage toured Camp Sunshine on Tuesday, visiting with families and volunteers before proclaiming June 26, 2012 as Camp Sunshine Day in Maine.

The governor’s visit also included meeting with members of the 133rd Engineer Battalion of the Maine Army National Guard who are on-site in Casco in June making needed improvements to Camp Sunshine’s Sebago Lake campus as part of a summer training operation.

Camp Sunshine Co-Founder Anne Gould presented a plaque to the Maine Army National Guard in honor of its service to Camp Sunshine. This year marks the fourth time since 1992 that the 133rd has volunteered two weeks in the summer to help make repairs and spruce up the non-profit organization’s campus. Maj. Scott Lewis, Maj. Daniel Curtis, Capt. Steven Morin and Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Marquis accepted the recognition on behalf of the Guard.

Earlier Tuesday, Gould led a tour of Camp Sunshine for Gov. LePage and his wife, who were joined by Deputy Legal Counsel Michael Cianchette and Robert McAleer, acting commissioner of the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management.

The contingent met and visited with families and volunteers, and LePage said later that he was impressed by the services offered by Camp Sunshine and the important role it plays in the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org)provides families a place to relax together for a week and take a break from the extraordinary demands placed on them on a daily basis. It is one of the only programs in the nation with a mission to address the impact off a child’s illness on the entire family. Last year alone, more than 700 families from across the U.S. attended one of 25 weeklong sessions held throughout the year. There is no charge to participating families.

Camp Sunshine’s partnership with the Maine Army National Guard started in 1992 when soldiers from the 133rd helped clear and stump the grounds of what would become the permanent campus. In addition to clearing and grading the property, soldiers constructed roads and drainage.

One year later, the 133rd returned to build the gazebo, the first official structure on the property. The 133rd came back again in 1998 and, despite torrential rainfall for an entire week, built a bathhouse, a small pond, and a bridge across the pond strong enough to support the Guard’s heavy equipment.

Camp Sunshine recently received another top 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s leading independent charity evaluator. The rating reflects Camp Sunshine’s emphasis on sound financial oversight, management and transparency. Its support from volunteers is a major contributing factor to the Camp’s ability to direct an overwhelming majority of funds raised toward program services and helping families.

About Camp Sunshine
Founded in 1984, Camp Sunshine, located in Maine’s Sebago Lake region, provides a camp vacation at no charge to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The camp is one of the only programs in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on every member of the immediate family. While attending the various week-long camps, families are able to rebuild relationships together and meet other families facing similar challenges. Camp Sunshine is in the midst of a $14.5 million endowment campaign to help expand and improve programs. Over the years, Camp Sunshine has hosted families from 44 states and 15 countries, and provided a camp experience for more than 30,000 family members. To support Camp Sunshine, please call (207) 655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org.

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Joined by members of the Maine Army National Guard are, from left, First Lady Ann LePage, Camp Sunshine Co-Founder Anna Gould, Gov. Paul LePage, and Camp Sunshine Executive Director Matt Hoidal.

Here is more information about Camp Sunshine