'Life is Good' for Camp Sunshine, Thanks to T-shirt Purchase by Harvard Pilgrim

$23,000 donation will sponsor 15 families from New England at the Casco, Maine camp

Harvard Pilgrim and Life is good® have partnered to help Camp Sunshine sponsor an additional 15 families at camp this year through a deal in which Harvard Pilgrim purchased a large order of T-shirts for a recent employee outing, with a portion of the cost donated to the non-profit organization.

The health benefits provider, with members in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine, purchased 2,300 shirts from Life is good, the New-England based apparel company that spreads positive messages with its colorful clothing lines and has made Camp Sunshine its charity of choice in recent years. Through Life is good, Harvard Pilgrim selected Camp Sunshine, which resulted in a donation of more than $23,000.

“It’s great to see companies like Harvard Pilgrim and Life is good working together to help us, so that we can provide a camp experience at no charge to families of children with life-threatening illnesses from throughout New England,” said Matt Hoidal, Executive Director of Camp Sunshine. “We are pleased to have this support from Harvard Pilgrim, and we also want to recognize the great folks down at Life is good. Since 2001, Life is good has helped us raise more than $350,000 for Camp Sunshine through festivals, t-shirt sales, and general donations.”

“This was a win for everyone,” said Life is good CEO Bert Jacobs. “Harvard Pilgrim and Life is good saw an opportunity to turn a business transaction into a gift that will benefit many families at a camp that is second to none in its field.”

“Harvard Pilgrim applauds the Camp Sunshine team’s devotion to alleviating the strain that a life- threatening illness creates not only on the sick child, but also on other family members,” said Charles D. Baker, president and CEO of Harvard Pilgrim. “We are pleased to sponsor 15 families for a week at Camp Sunshine, giving them the opportunity to rebuild their relationships and meet other families facing similar challenges.”

Founded in 1984, Camp Sunshine (www.CampSunshine.org) was the first and remains one of the only camps in the nation whose sole focus is on serving the entire family, and not just the sick child. The program is free of charge to all families, and includes 24-hour onsite medical and psychosocial support. Bereavement groups also are offered for families who have lost a child to an illness.

In addition, Camp Sunshine’s board of directors recently embarked upon a $14.5 million endowment campaign. The organization also recently was awarded a national, 4-star rating for sound fiscal management by Charity Navigator, one of the leading charity evaluation organizations in the U.S.

Harvard Pilgrim (www.HarvardPilgrim.org) is a full-service health benefits company serving members throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and beyond.

Life is good® (www.lifeisgood.com), based in Boston, spreads a fresh outlook on life across America and worldwide with its colorful collection of apparel, its quality accessories, and its optimistic cultural hero with the huge smile, Jake.

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