Outpouring of Support Helps Camp Sunshine Meet New Balance Foundation's $250,000 Matching Challenge

Engraved brick fundraising effort continues this holiday season for non-profit serving sick children and their families

CASCO, Maine (December 18, 2009) - Thanks to an outpouring of community support, Camp Sunshine has met and exceeded its fundraising goal in a $250,000 matching challenge from the New Balance Foundation, the organization announced Friday.

The engraved brick campaign, though, is continuing through the holiday season and into the coming year to help the nationally-recognized non-profit retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families build an endowment to secure its future.

“We are humbled by the outpouring of support received in recent weeks as we worked to meet the Dec. 31 deadline to reach the New Balance Foundation’s generous challenge,” said Matthew M. Hoidal, executive director of Camp Sunshine. “It’s been overwhelming and very gratifying.”
But the brick pathway is not yet complete, he added, and the campaign is ongoing. “We’ve achieved a huge goal, but we're not done yet,” Hoidal said. “An engraved brick is a perfect holiday gift for a loved one to show your support for our cause and the families that we serve.”

Just four weeks ago, Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org) remained $50,000 short in the $250,000 matching challenge with a Dec. 31 deadline looming. But a few large donations as well as support prompted by local media attention enabled Camp Sunshine to steadily close the gap.

"We congratulate Camp Sunshine, and all who supported this effort, on their successful completion of this challenge,” said Anne Davis, managing trustee of New Balance Foundation. “It has been a privilege for the New Balance Foundation to be a part of Camp Sunshine's past 25 years, and we are proud to invest in the future of this important organization."

The New Balance Foundation announced the matching challenge in February in celebration of Camp Sunshine ’s 25th anniversary. To meet the fundraising challenge, Camp Sunshine has been selling engraved bricks for its brick walkway at the Casco camp.

“Though the New Balance Foundation challenge has been met, the sale of the engraved bricks will continue into the coming years until the walkway is complete,” Hoidal said.

Large contributors so far include the Lions Clubs and Kiwanis Clubs of Maine and New England, Maine Youth Camps, Maine businesses, and hundreds of businesses, service clubs, school groups and individual donors from around the country.

All proceeds from the effort go towards Camp Sunshine’s endowment, helping to secure the future of its program for another 25 years.

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 offers 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.

The $250,000 gift marks the second $250,000 donation the New Balance Foundation has made to Camp Sunshine. The Foundation also committed $250,000 to Camp Sunshine's endowment in 2005.

In appreciation of the support from the New Balance Foundation, Camp Sunshine will name its walkway after the foundation.

To participate, donors purchase a 4" by 8" brick for $250, and/or an 8" by 8" brick for $2,500. The bricks can be inscribed with messages of any kind, and have three or six lines of space for text, depending on brick size. Company logos can also be engraved on the larger bricks. The walkway is located at the camp's Casco location on beautiful Sebago Lake.

For more information about how to make a donation towards the New Balance Foundation Brick Walkway Matching Challenge, visit the camp's website at www.campsunshine.org, or call (207) 655-3800.

Large contributors so far include the Lions Clubs and Kiwanis Clubs of Maine and New England, Maine Youth Camps, Maine businesses, and hundreds of businesses, service clubs, school groups and individual donors from around the country.

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, 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.

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 20,500 family members.

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.

# # #
Here is more news and information about Camp Sunshine.