This Summer our sons, Max and Alex have chosen to go back to Sunrise as counselors for their 4th and 2nd years, respectively. Max and Alex have come full circle with Sunrise, having been campers for 4 Summers from 2007 - 2010.
Sharon and I are beyond proud of our two boys! To commend our boys' commitment to Sunrise we have again sponsored a team (The Russ Warriors) for this year's SunriseWALKS event in support of Sunrise Day Camp. We hope that you will consider joining us on June 2nd, or supporting us by donating to this fabulous local cause!
As many of you know, our family has been involved with Sunrise for many years. Sunrise is the first and only dedicated day camp in the nation for children with cancer and their siblings. It is a very special place where children can come, free of charge, and enjoy a summer filled with fun, friendship, and activities; things often denied them because of their medical condition.
Max was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2007, shortly after he turned 7. As you can imagine, this was a devastating diagnosis for Max and the entire family. With the generous help and support of many, Max won his 3 1/2 year battle against cancer, finished chemo treatments in April 2010 and is now in remission and off treatment for over 9 years. We can tell you from personal experience that having a child with a chronic, life-threatening illness can have a devastating impact on a family, emotionally and financially. Sunrise Day Camp, located on the Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds on Long Island, is a miracle for these special children and their families. Sunrise lets children forget about their cancer so they can play, run and explore the magic of summer like a kid, the way you remember it.
In fact, Sunrise was one of the truly wonderful places that helped Max (and our entire family) in his successful battle. Both Max and Alex attended Sunrise for several summers and we cannot express in words our feelings of gratitude to Sunrise and its tireless brigade of staff, donors and volunteers! The camp is extra special for being the only day camp in the area to welcome children with cancer and their siblings at no charge to the families. Through the generosity of others, including many of you, Sunrise Day Camp was able to welcome over 500 campers this past summer and with your help the camp can continue to grow and thrive for years to come. As long as pediatric cancer exists Sunrise Day Camp must remain available for those children and their families!
We will be participating in the Fourteenth Annual Walk to Help the Sun Rise (now known as SunriseWalks) on Sunday, June 2nd, 2019.
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