This Oceanside organization has created a safe haven for children

Oceanside’s Sunrise Association organization, which started as a program at the Friedberg Jewish Community Center in 2006, is making a profound impact one child at a time. Whether battling cancer, or a sibling who would’ve slipped through the cracks, Sunrise provides a safe space for all. President and CEO Arnie Preminger had worked at the center for two decades and during that time noticed service gaps in the availability of summer day camps specifically for children with cancer. So, he decided to change the narrative and 17 years later the organization has since expanded nationally and virtually.

With approximately 200,000 children with cancer in a population of 330 million, the Sunrise organization began scouting their camp locations based on nearby hospitals that had pediatric oncology units. After identifying 11 hospitals near Wheatley Heights, they set up the free camp 17 years ago, originally welcoming 96 children.

“Their normal childhood is taken away from them,” said Preminger, “You know, it’s no fault of their own. But this is the short straw that they drew and we thought we might be able to change that.”

Besides the location, they knew camp had to be free of charge after considering the immense financial burden childhood cancer imposes on families. “The impact of childhood cancer on families, no matter what economic strata they’re in, is huge. And to then start thinking about paying for camp is just another burden,” said Preminger.

A recurring theme among the children served by Sunrise is the plight of the siblings, often overlooked in the face of their sibling’s illness. These siblings, who are dragged to chemotherapy sessions and witness more attention being given to their sick sibling, experience their own set of emotions on top of the tribulations of growing up. To address this, Sunrise allows siblings to come as well, and only tells the counselors who are battling cancer if necessary, so all campers are treated equally.

Children enjoy coming to camp so much some will ask their doctors for earlier chemotherapy session so they can catch the bus over to camp, bring buckets because they feel nauseous and have requested to be buried at Pinelawn Cemetery if they die so they can be close to camp. Not only are they changed by the experience, but the counselors have grown and learned about themselves as well. “They become better people,” said Preminger, “it changes their whole perspective.”

In addition to the summer camp, Sunrise has expanded its reach by working directly with hospitals. They bring a trunk full of fun and games to entertain bedridden children, offering a much-needed distraction and happiness during their medical journey. Furthermore, the organization recently launched Sunrise Studios, an in-house media studio that produces Sunrise VX, a virtual camp experience that can be accessed through their app. Here they do puppet shows for entertainment, but also series like Talk it Out, that features child life specialists tackling delicate subjects such as hair loss and helping children work through their feelings.

“We’re very careful about how we present it, all the subjects, because its delicate” said Athena Levesque, the director of Sunrise VX and main show character Sunny, “child life specialists and social workers or parents will show these to their kids or patients if they kind of need help working through some of those things. But then also on top of that segment, we just have them doing fun things as characters.”

Another notable program offered by Sunrise is Wheels Up, designed to transport children out of their headspace and take them on virtual journeys around the world. Here hospitalized children can explore all 12 Disney parks or discover how birthdays are celebrated internationally. The impact is not only emotional but also medical, as happiness and distraction have been found to help children tolerate larger doses of their treatment.

Since its inception, Sunrise has expanded its services, reaching out to numerous hospitals across the country. Starting with their first program at Cohen’s Children Hospital in 2009, they have now established partnerships with 133 hospitals nationwide. This growth was made possible in part by a generous $3 million grant from the Marcus Foundation. Furthermore, Sunrise has set an ambitious goal to serve one-third of all eligible children in the United States by 2026, which translates to approximately 63,000 children annually. Notably, they have already achieved their goal of establishing programs in hospitals.

In addition to the in-person camps, Sunrise has expanded its reach through virtual programming, ensuring that children everywhere have access to their services. With a growing number of camps in locations such as Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and even three in Israel, the organization is now preparing to open a new camp in Fort Lauderdale this December.

The Sunrise organization remains steadfastly committed to providing these programs and experiences to children battling cancer. However, their success is entirely reliant on donations, raising an impressive $15 to $16 million annually, along with their affiliate camps. It costs approximately $6,000 per summer to sponsor a single camper, covering the costs of their participation. However, the financial challenges posed by the recent pandemic have increased costs, making it an uncertain financial future for the organization.

Despite these concerns, the Sunrise team remains determined to ensure that every child who desires to attend the camp can do so. “Our goal is to take every child that wants to come and find a way to give them a meaningful experience,” said Preminger. “It’s about each individual child and making sure that they had a better day than they would have had if we weren’t there.”