Walk on June 4 to Give Summer Back to Children with Cancer

Sponsored Content / Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island

Childhood should be a time for playdates, adventures outside in the sun, toothless grins, and scraped knees.

But for too many children and their families, a pediatric cancer diagnosis changes everything.

One local organization—the Lucille & Jay Chazanoff Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island—has stepped in to give families the gift of a childhood summer that every child deserves to experience, even in the face of a frightening medical situation.

Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is a FREE summer day camp for children with cancer and their siblings. Days at Sunrise are filled with friends, games, songs, and fun—the perfect antidote to long, lonely days at home and in the hospital.

Operated by the Joan & Alan Bernikow JCC of Staten Island, Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island is a proud member of the Sunrise Association, whose mission is to bring back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide.

Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island serves over 120 children, ages 3½ to 16, yearly.

Recognizing the extraordinary financial demands that a child’s chronic illness can have on a family, Sunrise Day Camp is offered completely free of charge.

It costs $6,000 to send one child to Sunrise Day Camp, but the memories they make there are truly priceless.

Much of this funding is raised at SunriseWALKS-Staten Island, an annual walkathon and the camp’s largest community fundraising campaign.

This year, SunriseWALKS will take place on Sunday, June 4 at Staten Island University Hospital “Community Park,” home of the Staten Island FerryHawks.

The Staten Island community is invited to the stadium for a morning of family fun, including carnival games, face painting, and special performances, before walking along the baseball field.

Following the walk, attendees are invited to stay and take in a FerryHawks game against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. Discounted game tickets are available for walkers.

Orit Lender, CEO of the JCC, said, “There’s nothing better than the smiles we see at Sunrise Day Camp because we know how much our campers have been through at such a young age. By showing your support at SunriseWALKS, you are truly making a difference for a child with cancer and their family.”

Twelve-year-old JP, this year’s SunriseWALKS ambassador, has personally experienced the magic of Sunrise Day Camp since he began attending in 2018.

Although JP lost his eyesight after being diagnosed with a brain tumor as a child, this hasn’t stopped him from enjoying traditional camp activities like swimming and arts and crafts.

JP loves to socialize with his fellow campers and camp staff, especially the Olsen Family Wellness Center nurses and his one-on-on counselor, Cristina, who guides him and helps make activities more accessible for him.

Cristina said, “JP has a huge amount of love for Sunrise. He walks off the bus every morning with the biggest smile on his face, excited for all the activities of the day. During art, he makes bracelets and notes to give to his friends and the staff. He never keeps any art projects for himself, but instead is always eager to share and brighten another person’s day.”

“Each day at Sunrise Day Camp, we’re spreading sunshine to kids who have been through the unimaginable,” said David Lutzker, incoming Director of Sunrise Day Camp-Staten Island. “But so often, we find that it’s really our campers—and the smiles and the laughter they share—who shine the most.”

“When you support SunriseWALKS by donating and walking with us on June 4, you’re giving our campers the most incredible gift of just being able to be kids again.”

Check-in for the walk begins at 9am at the stadium on June 4. To register, create a team, and donate, visit https://www.sunrise-walks.org/statenisland.