Camp Rising Sun: Meaningful to Campers, Families and Volunteers

This summer will be the sixth year that local Weichert realtor Susan Mullane’s son Patrick Mullane, will be returning to Camp Rising Sun for a one-week getaway. “He loves it,” she said, “and comes home exhausted and usually falls asleep in the car on the way home.”

Patrick, now 15, was first diagnosed with cancer at 6 months old and has been attending Camp Rising Sun along with other cancer survivors and children currently undergoing treatment. Patrick beat a bi-lateral wilms tumor at about age 2 and has been in remission ever since. However, his mom explains that Patrick endures yet another challenge, as he was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at age 8.

“He feels different,” she said, for a lot of reasons – not just his cancer.” Close friends with a child from Boston who has a brain tumor, which has affected his speech and ability to walk, Susan said of Patrick and the camp, “disabilities don’t matter to them.” She continued, “It doesn’t matter because everyone is unique there and that’s the thing I love most about the week.”

Patrick’s first year at Camp Rising Sun, held at Camp Jewell in Colebrook, he was placed in Shaun Heffernan’s cabin. In charge of gaggle of boys, ages five to nine, including her son, Susan said of Heffernan, “He can handle anything.”

Heffernan has been volunteering with the camp for 11 years and will take post as the camp director for the second time this year. What started as a one-off chance to volunteer has turned into a vocation of sorts for Heffernan, who literally lights up when he speaks of working with the children.

The camp, which will be held Aug. 20-26 this year, is like any camp, he explained but added that his first year he was not so wise. “I pictured it as a bunch of kids walking around with IV poles but it’s not that like at all.”

Heffernan shared, “It’s kind of like that camp experience from 30 years ago – everything from cabin pranks and playing flashlight tag in the woods in the middle of the night.”

What’s different, he said, is the mandatory rest time campers take during the day for one hour following lunch, as well as the administration of medication to campers as needed. “These kids,” said Heffernan, “are so resilient.”

Yale-New Haven Hospital’s pediatric oncologist, Dr. Joe McNamara, as well as several oncology nurses stay at the camp all week to administer meds and have fun with the kids.

Apart from typical camp fun with the group of about 120 kids, ages 5 to 17, there is a big fireworks celebration Wednesday night at the camp. Along with the great display, there is also a head-shave-a-thon and this year, Suzette and Arturo Franco-Camacho of the newly opened , will be catering the event for free for the kids. Mean Carlene will also play live music for the group on Wednesday night. During the week, Naples Pizza of Guilford drives to the camp with a mobile pizza oven and lets the campers make their own pies.

While most of the week is devoted to having fun and forgetting the rigors of cancer treatment in the confines of a hospital, Heffernan said one night is devoted to remembering campers who have passed as well as is a time of general reflection. Campers and volunteers light candles and float them on the camp lake, said Heffernan. This year, though, he said he is happy to report that no campers have been lost from 2010 to 2011.

The camp, which has been in operation for years, is currently looking for more campers, stated Heffernan. If anyone is interested in attending or knows someone who might be, please contact 203-481-7277 or visit them online at www. Camprisingsun.com.

will be held Wednesday, July 20 at the Owenego Inn from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. The event features food, music, fun and silent raffle. All proceeds will benefit the camp, which us free for all attendees – Heffernan is hoping to raise $50,000 this year.