Navy SEALs for Camp Sunshine

On the morning of Thursday, July 30, 8 active duty Navy SEALs will embark on the Summit to Sunshine Challenge, a reverse triathlon for an exceptional cause. The goal of this ambitious, courageous mission is to raise $100,000 for Camp Sunshine, which will be used to sponsor military and special operations families that have a child diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.

The Summit to Sunshine Challenge will begin with a 7.6 mile run down the tallest peak in the Northeast, Mt. Washington, NH. The SEALs will then bike 83.4 miles from New Hampshire to Camp Mataponi in Sebago Lake, Maine. During their ride through Western Maine, the SEALs will stop at the Maine Veterans’ Home in South Paris to shake hands and pay tribute to the brave heroes of the last generation. When the SEALs arrive at Camp Mataponi, they will then swim 3.9 miles, finally landing at the beach adjacent to Camp Sunshine at Point Sebago Resort where an appreciative crowd will greet them.

With all the challenges that military families face already, it is hard to imagine finding out your child has been diagnosed with leukemia, a brain tumor, retinoblastoma, renal disease, lupus, or any of the other diseases that Camp Sunshine faithfully serves. Camp Sunshine offers the only program in the nation designed to serve the entire family of a child who is battling a life-threatening illness. The organization is continually striving to expand services.

The impact of Camp Sunshine is best expressed in the words of one of their campers: “I came away from camp renewed and ready to face the challenges that await me…Thanks to our time at camp I have an appreciation for life again. This generous gift of a week at Camp Sunshine has lifted the spirit of an entire family.”