New Balance Foundation Commits $250,000 to Camp Sunshine to Help Expand Year-Round Programs

Camp Sunshine in Casco one of the only camps in U.S. that serves entire family of seriously ill children

Casco, Maine -- Camp Sunshine announced today that the New Balance Foundation has committed $250,000 to the non-profit organization to help expand its program assisting families of seriously ill children on a year-round basis. The grant will be used to sponsor families from the communities that the company serves throughout the U.S.

Camp Sunshine, located in Maine’s Sebago Lake region, supports children with life- threatening illnesses and their families. The camp offers 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’s board of directors embarked upon a $14.5 million endowment campaign recently to help continue to expand the program year-round. To kick-off the campaign, Camp Sunshine founders and the owners of Point Sebago Resort, Anna and Larry Gould, offered a challenge where they will match gifts of $250,000 and more, up to a total of $2 million. The commitment from the New Balance Foundation is in response to this challenge.

“This is a great beginning to our campaign, and the need is so great to make this into a full-fledged year-round program, even during the Maine winter,” said Matt Hoidal, Camp Sunshine’s Executive Director. “The New Balance Foundation has been a great partner over the years, providing financial contributions as well as volunteer hours. New Balance and the New Balance Foundation have helped us serve many families from their New England locations.”

Before this gift, the New Balance Foundation had given more than $82,000 to Camp Sunshine since 2000, usually in the form of supporting families from the communities where they are located, including Boston and Lawrence, Mass., and Skowhegan, Norridgewock, and Norway/South Paris, Maine.

“An endowment is a critical element to the long-term sustainability of any non-profit organization," said Anne Davis, Vice Chair of New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. and managing trustee of the New Balance Foundation. "For all that Camp Sunshine is and for all that it offers to children and families, we believe it has the potential to fulfill the greater vision of the founders and staff. An endowment will only strengthen the success this unique organization has created. We are privileged to continue to be in a position to assist Camp Sunshine in sustaining their work and vision.”

Founded in 1984, Camp Sunshine 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 are also offered for families who have lost a child to an illness. Camp Sunshine has attracted families from 44 states and 15 countries over the years, and provided a camp experience for more than 20,500 family members.

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.

About the New Balance Foundation:
The New Balance Foundation is a charitable foundation established in 1981 and funded by New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. The Foundation’s mission is to support effective charitable organizations which perform humanitarian services for the betterment of our children and our local community. Please visit the Foundation’s website at www.newbalancefoundation.org.

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