MaineBusiness.com

Non-profit serving sick children and their families appealing to public for help this holiday season as deadline looms to reach fundraising goal

CASCO, Maine – Despite making good progress, Camp Sunshine still needs to raise $50,000 by the end of the year to meet a $250,000 matching challenge by the New Balance Foundation.

Camp Sunshine, a nationally-recognized non-profit retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, is counting on the generosity of the public this holiday season to help reach the fundraising goal and trigger the New Balance Foundation’s match.

The New Balance Foundation announced the matching challenge in February in celebration of Camp Sunshine’s 25th anniversary. To meet the $250,000 fundraising challenge, Camp Sunshine (www.campsunshine.org) has been selling engraved bricks for its brick walkway at the camp.

Camp Sunshine recently reached the $200,000 mark in brick sales. But $50,000 is still to be raised as the Dec. 31 deadline looms.

Engraved bricks purchased as holiday gifts for loved ones or by organizations as part of holiday giving will touch the lives of children and families coping with serious illnesses, said Matthew M. Hoidal, executive director of Camp Sunshine.

“We couldn’t be happier with the overwhelming response to this generous matching challenge offered by the New Balance Foundation,” Hoidal said. “As we near the end of the challenge, our goal is within reach and we hope many more people will participate, especially during this holiday season.”

He added, “Likewise, we sincerely thank our friends at the New Balance Foundation for their continued investments in Camp Sunshine, and all those who have contributed towards this successful effort.”

All proceeds from the effort will 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 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.

If the goal is reached, the $250,000 gift will mark 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.

“An endowment is a critical element to the long-term sustainability of any non-profit organization," said Anne Davis, managing trustee, New Balance Foundation. "We continue to be impressed by all that Camp Sunshine offers to children and their families and we feel privileged to be in a position to assist Camp Sunshine in sustaining and growing their valuable work.”

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.

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Media Contacts:
Matthew M. Hoidal, Esq., Executive Director, Camp Sunshine
(207) 655-3800, mhoidal@campsunshine.org

Amy Vreeland, Corporate Communications Manager, New Balance
(617) 746-2214, amy.vreeland@newbalance.com