Learn About Our Programs

Sunrise Day Camp

Summer 2025 Dates: June 30th– August 14th

Sunrise is a summer day camp for children with cancer and their siblings—100% free of charge. Sunrise campers are welcome to come for the entire summer or as little as one day.

A day at camp is filled with friends, games, songs and fun—the perfect antidote to long, lonely days at home and in the hospital. Sunrise campers are given what every child deserves—the opportunity to be a kid.

At Sunrise, children can come to camp and continue treatment with their home doctors and return home to the comfort of their own beds at the end of each day.

The Sunrise Day Camp staff team includes a medical director, on-site nurses, and a dedicated camp staff specially trained to meet the unique needs of our children, while also providing a fun and memorable summer.

Who is Eligible? • Ages 3½ to 16 • Within five years of active or follow-up treatment for cancer • Siblings ages 3½ to 16 of eligible campers • If child with cancer is unable to attend, siblings are still welcome

Sunrise Fun-days

Our kids love camp so much that we just had to extend the fun beyond the summer!

During the school year, we host Sunrise Fun-days – special activity days for our campers and families – along with many of the same staff who helped to make their summers so wonderful.

Our Sunrise Fun-days make it possible for our campers to see their friends through the year.  These camp-like activity days include sports, arts & crafts, special shows and programs.

Some of our Sunrise Fun-days are family events where family members can join the fun-filled festivities.

We are currently offering Virtual Funday.  For more information, please contact sunrisevx@sunriseassocation.org

Just let us know if you are interested in starting your Sunrise Day Camp experience during the school year and we will work with you to make it happen.

Sunrise on Wheels

“When my daughter was diagnosed, Wheels was there to comfort her. She built a relationship with the Wheels volunteers, she was so comforted by you all that she forgot all her pain. I am so grateful to Wheels for caring.” – Sunrise parent

Can you imagine a child not wanting to leave a hospital because they’re having so much fun?  At Sunrise on Wheels, we see this every day!

Sunrise on Wheels is an in-hospital initiative that provides children with fun-filled excitement while awaiting and undergoing treatment in pediatric oncology units.  Siblings and family members are always welcome to participate!

Our Sunrise on Wheels program first launched in 2009. Each Wheels location serves a large number of children ranging from toddlers to young adults. While the youngest are enjoying Legos, coloring and other age-appropriate activities, older children can participate in a lively game of UNO or intricate crafts.

Smiles from Sunrise

If your child is hospitalized for any reason, we’re here for you. Sunrise’s staff and counselors are available to bring smiles to your child’s day with an in-person visit, or a Facetime call.

Nicole Faber
nicole@sunriselongisland.org

SunriseVX – Virtual Camp!

SunriseVX provides children the camp experience through live and interactive sessions. Children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend an in-person camp can now make friends, sing songs and choose from a wide variety of activities all summer long.

Read our Camp Brochure

FAQs for Summer 2025

For the summer of 2025, we have designed a summer camp program to meet the varied needs of our campers, whether they prefer attending camp in-person or want to experience camp fun from their home or – if necessary – even from a hospital bed. Both programs offer the same wondrous, magical camp experiences that have come to define Sunrise. To help you decide which program is best for your needs, we have put together some answers to frequently asked questions about this year’s upcoming programs:

Please select the one you prefer for most or all of the summer. This will allow us to plan properly for both our camp programs. If you change your mind at any time, just call your camp registrar and they will make the switch for you.

To plan a medically safe camp, we have been working with a Medical Task Force made up of a select group of pediatric oncologists and infectious disease specialists and developed protocols designed to protect your children and the camp community.

Each Sunrise Day Camp has a private, air-conditioned Wellness Center and is supported by a medical director, on-site pediatric oncology nurses and physicians on call.  Most medications can be easily administered, and ample indoor areas are provided for children to just “cool down.” In the unlikely event of an emergency during the camp day, rapid transportation by ambulance is provided.

Sunrise Day Camps are within driving distance of its local communities and surrounding areas. We encourage parents to drive their children to and from camp, in order to keep them in the most comfortable environment. We do offer bus transportation from hub locations should personal transport not be possible.

We will identify and train all families in using the health screening app we have selected. If you are traveling to camp by bus, you will need to remain at the bus stop with your child until he/she has been checked in by the bus counselor and their daily screening reviewed. If arriving at camp by car, your child should remain in the car until your child’s health screening has been reviewed and approved.

One of the great advantages of day camps is that children can bring their own yummy lunches from home, so they never have to wonder about what’s on the menu for that day (of course, we’ll refrigerate it). But that’s all they need to bring, since we provide several snacks during the day as well as juice and other drinks whenever needed. Need something special? No problem! Just let us know and we’ll get it. In our commitment to provide a safe environment for all children, our camps are nut-aware facilities, meaning that we will not knowingly serve any foods with nuts and we request that all parents do the same.

Sunrise Day Camps are staffed by counselors, specialists, assistants, and volunteers, ages 16+ specially trained prior to the camp’s opening. Our camps’ on-site Directors have extensive experience with children and camping, and our staff-to-camper ratio often exceeds 1:4, assuring that every need of our campers are accommodated. All of our staff comes from many different backgrounds, with one common goal: to make their time with our children the happiest it can be. After their experience at our camps, many of our counselors choose a new or decide to change their career goals to health-related fields.

We want you to be partners with us in the care of your child. As always, we will offer a parent orientation, which may be virtual.  We will review the general camp program, and both our longstanding and new protocols for Summer 2025. We will also provide this to you in writing.

It’s important for you and your child(ren) to be comfortable at our campgrounds. Depending on the individual camp and facility availability, we will be offering individual or group tours of our facility.

FAQs for Virtual Camp

Just like our in-person camps, our SunriseVX (Virtual eXperience) will be a dynamic, engaging and live interactive virtual summer camp designed for your child’s age group and interests, all hosted by our creative and dynamic camp staff.  There will be a diverse choice of age-specific and all-age activities and experiences offered at different times of the day.

As we get closer to the opening day of virtual camp, we will send you all the information needed to access the program, including a schedule of events.  If you checked off permission to contact your child directly, they will get a copy of everything as well.  And knowing how busy life can be at times, we’ll be sending out reminders during the summer so that your child doesn’t miss any of our exciting activities and programs.

Should you wish to switch your child to in-person camp, please contact the camp registrar.  The registrar will provide you with the additional application packet required for your child to be in attendance at camp, including a physician health form, all of which we will need that will need completed prior to your child’s attending.  If you’re currently leaning towards virtual camp but think that you might want to make a switch during the summer, we strongly suggest that you secure a date for your child’s medical check-up soon, as not having a current medical form will delay your child’s acceptance into camp.  Your camp registrar can provide a form for you to have filled out, just in case your plans change.  Please know that there is a minimum 3-day wait after we receive your child’s additional registration forms before he/she may attend our in-person camp. This allows us to make all the proper transportation and group arrangements for your child, and for our medical staff to review their forms.

SunriseVX offers pre-recorded content in addition to live programs. Go to the Sunrise Association’s YouTube Channel, or download our Sunrise Studios App on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Firestick, phone or tablet, to access hundreds of pre-recorded activities for them to watch, participate in and enjoy. If you need assistance, just contact your camp registrar.”