Portland Polar Dip to Benefit Camp Sunshine Set for Saturday, February 11 at East End Beach in Portland, Maine

Freezin’ for a Reason event to raise money for Camp Sunshine, a one-of-a-kind retreat in Casco, Maine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families

PORTLAND, Maine (February 9, 2012) – The fifth annual Portland Polar Dip to benefit Camp Sunshine is set for noon on Saturday, Feb. 11, at East End Beach in Portland, Maine.

Participants will plunge into the chilly waters of Casco Bay to raise money to help send more families to Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org), a one-of-a-kind national retreat in Casco, Maine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.

New this year, participants are encouraged to create a plunge team of four or more people, consisting of co-workers and classmates and from civic groups or places of worship.

Each individual participant is encouraged to raise a minimum of $100 in pledges for Camp Sunshine and those who do will receive an “I DID IT!” t-shirt. All proceeds will benefit Camp Sunshine. To pledge online and for more information on the event, visit www.freezinforareason.com. East End beach is located at the base of Portland’s Eastern Promenade. Registration begins at 11 a.m. with the plunge set for noon.

The goal is to raise $25,000 – enough to fund more than a dozen additional families at Camp Sunshine.

“The reality of this event is that the discomfort our plungers feel for just a moment will never compare to what our families go through during the course of their child’s illness,” said Michael Smith, Director of Special Events at Camp Sunshine. “It’s for the families and children that we plunge...We call it Freezin for a Reason.“

Nestled alongside the shores of beautiful Sebago Lake in Casco, Camp Sunshine offers children with life-threatening illnesses and their families a place to relax together for a week and to take a break from the extraordinary demands placed on them on a daily basis.

The year-round program is free of charge to the families and staffed almost entirely by volunteers. It is the only program in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on every member of the immediate family.

Since Camp Sunshine opened in 1984, it has provided a haven for more than 32,000 family members from 48 states and 22 countries. In 2010, for example, more than 750 families participated in Camp Sunshine’s program. Sadly, even with multiple sessions being added annually at Camp Sunshine, there are still many more children being newly diagnosed each year, Smith said.

To support Camp Sunshine, please call (207) 655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org.

Camp Sunshine recently received a coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s leading independent charity evaluator. The rating placed Camp Sunshine 39th in the country – and first in Maine – out of thousands of charities that were exhaustively analyzed for financial oversight, management and transparency.

About Camp Sunshine
Camp Sunshine offers children with life-threatening illnesses and their families a place to relax together for a week, and to take a break from the extraordinary demands placed upon them on a daily basis. The year-round program is free of charge and staffed almost entirely by volunteers. It is the only program in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on every member of the immediate family — the ill child, the parents and the siblings. Since its inception in 1984, Camp Sunshine has provided a haven for more than 32,000 individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. In addition to providing 24-hour on-site medical and psychosocial support, the camp offers a variety of daily activities, including swimming, boating, archery and soccer, and special events such as bonfires and cookouts. To support Camp Sunshine, please call (207) 655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org.

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Calendar listing
WHAT: Fifth annual Portland Polar Dip to Benefit Camp Sunshine
WHEN: Saturday, February 11, 2012 at noon (registration begins at 11 a.m.)
WHERE: East End Beach, base of Eastern Promenade, Portland, Maine
WHO: Event to raise money to send more families to Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org), a one-of-a-kind national retreat in Maine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families
MORE INFO: Participants are encouraged to raise a minimum of $100 in pledges and plunge into Casco Bay to receive a commemorative t-shirt. All proceeds will benefit Camp Sunshine. The goal is to raise $25,000.
WEBSITE: www.freezinforareason.com
CONTACT: Michael Smith, Camp Sunshine (207) 655-3800 msmith@campsunshine.org

Photos from 2011 event courtesy of Ron Riley

Here is more information about Camp Sunshine