CHARITABLE TIMES NEWSLETTER
THE SUNSHINE CAMP EXPERIENCE COMES FULL CIRCLE
I began working at Sunshine Camp as a counselor about 23 years ago. I was 20 yrs old at the time and thought it sounded like a fun summer job. I couldn’t have anticipated the impact that those two weeks would have on my life. I immediately fell in love with camp. I loved my fellow counselors, I loved the kids, but most of all I loved the atmosphere of inclusion and joy I felt and witnessed in others.
I continued working at Sunshine Camp for the next seven summers. I looked forward to it all year and missed it when it was over. It was an exhausting job (keeping a camp full of kids entertained from sunrise to sunset is a big task!) but it was also so fulfilling. I loved seeing so many of the same campers come back year after year and knowing how excited they were to be returning to a place they felt completely accepted. I remember how often I would witness parents picking up their camper at the end of the week and being amazed to hear the new things their child had tried.
Often parents of children with special needs feel isolated and unsupported in so many environments. I know this because I am now a parent of a child with special needs. My oldest son, Freddie, was diagnosed with Autism at three years old. He’s a smart, talkative, and loving kid. He makes us laugh everyday.
A Season to Remember at Sunshine Camp
What an incredible season it’s been at our beloved Sunshine Camp! This year, we had the pleasure of hosting not only our own Sunshine Camp program for two amazing weeks but also welcoming seven key partners who brought their unique energy and passion to our grounds. These included the American Diabetes Association, EPI’s Camp Eagr and Camp Coast, Camp Haccamo, Camp Hard Hat, Camp Joy, CP Rochester, and Heritage Christian Services, among others. It was truly heartwarming to see our camp buzzing with activity, smiles, and the shared joy of making a difference in so many lives.
This season, we also hosted some of our signature events, which brought the community together in a big way. Our Construction for Kids event and the annual 5K Trail Mix and Beer Fest were both huge successes, filled with laughter, excitement, and the spirit of giving that defines our community.
But our work doesn’t end with camp—in fact, it’s only where it begins. This year, we strengthened our relationship with School #8 by forming a new committee, “School Based Needs.” This committee has focused on keeping the food and clothes pantries stocked and ensuring that no child is without the school supplies needed for a successful education. Additionally our Scholarship program welcomed two new students, scholarship students receive guidance and mentorship with a Rotarian mentor through high school graduation and beyond in college where they will receive a scholarship.
Lastly, our international efforts have seen great success this year, led by our Club President-Elect, Richard de Asis. Richard’s dedication and leadership have secured grant funding and support for projects in Nicaragua and Nepal. And, putting our money where our mouth is, Richard and fellow Rotarian Vicki James personally traveled to Nicaragua to lend a helping hand – check out more details inside our newsletter!
As you can see, it’s been a season full of achievements, hard work, and unforgettable moments. And we’re just getting started. Enjoy our annual newsletter and exciting updates from our work throughout the community and thank you for being part of this journey with us.
With gratitude,
MEET ME AT THE “BRIGHT SPOT”
A special highlight this year was the celebration of Past President and longtime member, Don Alhart’s retirement from broadcast news. To honor Don and his wife Mary, we renamed our rec building at camp “The Don and Mary Alhart Bright Spot.”
Don has been a beacon of light for us, including spearheading the effort years ago that connected camp to the municipal water supply, ensuring we could continue to serve our campers safely and effectively.
The celebration of Don’s career was a highlight of the year and brought hundreds of friends and supporters to camp, and it was a fitting tribute to Don’s remarkable career and his tireless work to benefit our camp. Attendees and friends contributed over $19,000 in Don and Mary’s honor to support Sunshine Camp!
Paul Guglielmo President Rochester Rotary Club
Heather Smith President Rochester Rotary Charitable Trusts, Inc.
Tracey Dreisbach Executive Director Rochester Rotary
However, he has some significant challenges and requires a lot of adult assistance with daily life skills and social interactions. Due to his high level of support needs, he is not able to participate in typical recreational activities and would definitely not be able to attend a typical camp.
Freddie turned seven this year and I was excited for him to attend Sunshine Camp for the first time. However, I had real concerns he would not even make it through one day. He struggles in loud, crowded environments. Especially unfamiliar environments. Thanks to the enthusiastic staff that work so hard to support all the campers and their individual needs, Freddie was able to make it through the entire week! He absolutely loved it!
He proudly tells anyone who will listen, even strangers, about Sunshine Camp. For those unfamiliar with it, he’s careful to note that it’s a camp where “kids have no barriers to fun”.
He left camp with a sense of independence and confidence that I’ve never seen in him. And I felt a sense of hope that I haven’t felt in a long time. As a parent of a child with special needs I worry what the future holds for him. Knowing that Sunshine Camp exists, helps ease those worries. He has a place in the world where he feels accepted and supported and can just be a kid. Our entire family is so grateful for that.
After working as a counselor at Sunshine Camp, I knew it was a special place. Now, as Freddie’s mom, I see just how incredibly special it is. Not just for the kids who attend, but for their families as well. We love our Sunshine Camp, “where kids have no barriers to fun!”
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Anne Sunshine Camp Parent and former Camp Counselor
Beyond our usual seasonal operations, we took a big step forward with the construction of Sunshine Garden, an accessible vegetable garden that has been a fantastic addition to our camp. This garden has provided fresh produce and herbs for our kitchen staff to use throughout the summer, ensuring our campers enjoy the freshest meals possible and assisted in supplying fresh food for the Roberto Clemente School #8 food pantry.
BIG thank you to our generous sponsors, committee members, and volunteers who helped make this project a reality including Wegmans volunteers for building the gardens and Rotarians planting in the early spring. We are excited to see our garden grow over the next few years and continue providing fresh produce for our kitchen and the School #8 pantry.
WE HAVE AN AMAZING COMMUNITY!
Section V hosts meetings and trainings at Sunshine Camp each month and help to bring awareness to our facility and programs. At their meeting this past spring they surprised us with a $3,000 donation!
WOW! The Ability Group joined us for a second year bringing over 50 volunteers from area colleges who stayed at camp for a weekend and helped with projects from leaf clean up to painting, clean up around the pool, cutting up trees and stacking fire wood. At the end of the weekend they presented us with a $7,000 donation!
Thanks to this year’s participants in the annual Shirley Isaac Memorial Clay Shooting Tournament.
Thank you to Paul and Bridget Kittel and family for hosting the annual Andrew Kittel Memorial Ride in honor of their late son to support the Sunshine Camp. Each year the ride culminates at camp with a BBQ and live music, this year’s ride raised $8,350 to support Sunshine Camp in Andrew’s memory.
Our friends at Apparel Printers Plus designed these awesome shirts to support Sunshine Camp and our campers! Shirts were available at local CNB branches and are available now at our camp store!
URMC Pediatric Emergency Community Outreach group hosted their first annual golf tournament this summer and chose Sunshine Camp as the charity partner. They presented us with a $3,838 donation at the tournament dinner!
Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters chose Sunshine Camp as the organization to benefit from their August drink of the month - fittingly a “S’mores Chai”.
Thanks to the Wegmans Asset Protection Team for a great work day this past spring getting our campus ready for the summer.
The annual CandleLight Run hosted by Greater Rochester Track Club raised $6,100 to support Sunshine Camp!
Thanks to the annual Gratitude Run for hosting their run at Sunshine Camp and donating the proceeds to support our campers! The run raised over $1,000 - this year’s run/walk will be held Thanksgiving morning.
Thanks to the annual Wegmans work week for helping get our campground ready for the summer - volunteers powerwashed and stained the climbing wall, installed our pond docks, cut and stacked fire wood, and built a new bridge.
This year’s Camp Hard Hat project was the building of a new lean-to to provide shade for campers at the climbing wall and zipline while they are waiting their turn!
Roberto Clemente School #8 SPOTLIGHT
School #8 has been the adopted school of Rochester Rotary since 1994.
Following the Wegmans work week we were joined by Keller Williams for their annual Red Day, volunteers planted flowers throughout the campus, cleaned up leaves, cleaned up cabins, kitchens, nurses station and more!
The management team from our summer camp partners Heritage Christian Services came out this fall to help with end of season clean up.
Scholarship students took trips and shared in activities all around our community this year including Corning Museum of Glass, Sam Patch tour, pumpkin picking and carving, and so much more!
Rotarians set up an ice cream social to celebrate this year’s School #8 Teacher Appreciation Day!
Annual School #8 Career Day attended by over a 15 companies for students to talk with about job ideas and opportunities.
Rotarians volunteered in a dozen classrooms each quarter, bringing a book to read to the students and donating it to the classroom.
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE UPDATE
In January 2024, I had the opportunity to participate in a humanitarian trip to El Sauce, Nicaragua, organized by the Rochester Rotary in partnership with Linking Hands for Learning, a non-profit dedicated to building schools in the region. This collaboration has been ongoing since 2017, with Linking Hands for Learning actively constructing educational facilities in Nicaragua since 2010.
During our mission, we focused on the construction of a new school, which is vital for providing children in the area with access to education and a brighter future. The experience was not only rewarding but also eye-opening as we engaged with the local community, learned about their challenges, and witnessed the impact of our efforts firsthand. This trip reaffirmed the importance of international service and the difference we can make in the lives of others through dedicated teamwork and compassion.
86TH ROTARY AWARD CELEBRATION
Congratulations to Justin L. Vigdor this year’s recipient of the Rotary Award. This award honors Justin’s more than half century of service to the Rochester community. The award is the oldest civic award in Rochester presented each year to a community member(s) who personify Rotary’s “Service Above Self” motto and who demonstrate exceptional community spirit, touch the lives of many citizens, serve as a positive role model, and share wisdom and knowledge to empower others.
A MILESTONE CELEBRATION
The 2024 Construction for Sunshine Kids Reception, hosted by Rochester Building and Construction Trades, Builders Exchange of Rochester, UNiCON, and CIAR, marked a milestone in the partnership and support Rochester Rotary and the Sunshine Camp have received from the construction industry.
Since the beginning of our partnership 15 years ago our local construction partners have helped to raise more than $1 million for Sunshine Camp. In addition to funds raised our partners and their employees have also donated thousands of hours of volunteer time to Camp.
SUNSHINE ESCAPE 2024
Sunshine Escape is our adult camper weekend held annually over Columbus Day weekend. This year we had over 75 campers join us for a weekend of fun fall filled activities including pumpkin painting, a dance party, climbing wall and zipline, fishing, hayrides and more! Campers love this weekend spending time with their peers.
For more information about Sunshine Escape or any questions about our programs at Sunshine Camp contact Brandi Koch at 585-533-2080 x103 or brandi@rochesterrrotary.org.
A SIMPLE WAY TO MAKE A DIRECT AND LASTING IMPACT
Are you looking for a way to make a difference while also planning for your future? By designating Rochester Rotary as an insurance beneficiary or IRA/retirement beneficiary, you can make a lasting impact on a cause you care about.
Here’s why making an impact is so easy:
• No out-of-pocket costs: You don’t need to make a donation upfront.
• Tax benefits: Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for tax deductions or credits.
• Flexibility: You can choose the timing and amount of your gift.
• Peace of mind: Knowing your assets will support a cause you believe in can provide a sense of fulfillment.
How it works:
• Identify your beneficiaries: Decide which charitable organization you want to support.
• Update your beneficiary designations: Contact your insurance company or financial institution to update your beneficiaries to include Rochester Rotary Charitable Trusts, Inc.
Contact Heather King, Director of Development, at 585-546-7435 x203 or heather@rochesterrotary.org to discuss opportunities.
A RESOURCE FOR THE COMMUNITY
Did you know Rochester Rotary Sunshine Camp is available to rent during the off season months of the year? If you are looking for an ideal location for a meeting, retreat or training session, consider Sunshine Camp!
When summer camp is out of session (September to November and from February to May), the facility is available for rent to non-profit organizations and is perfect for all kinds of events, even overnights and weekends, such as college leadership trainings, conferences, environmental education programs, retreats, staff meetings and training sessions, strategic planning sessions, and more. Contact Brandi Koch at 585-533-2080 x103 or brandi@rochesterrotary.org for details.
THANK YOU SUNSHINE CAMP PROGRAM STAFF!
Rochester Rotary offers a two-week program at camp for children with disabilities at no charge, thanks to generous contributions from Rochester Rotarians and from the community. Throughout the rest of the summer, the camp is enjoyed by campers from partner agencies, including American Diabetes Association, Camp Haccamo (supported by Rotary Clubs of Monroe County), Camp Hard Hat, CP Rochester, Camp Joy, EPI (Camp Egar and Camp Coast), Heritage Christian Services, and Holy Childhood.
Our talented program staff crafts captivating themes for over 2,500 campers, filling each week with exciting activities and challenges. From splashing in the pool to soaring on the zipline, our dedicated crew ensures every camper has a summer filled with fun, creativity, and adventure.Thank you all for putting your hearts into ensuring every camper has the time of their lives each summer!
SUNSHINE SOCIETY RECEPTION
This spring we hosted our first annual Sunshine Society reception at Sunshine Camp, Sunshine Society is our recognition group for those who have made us aware of a gift in their estate to benefit the Rochester Rotary Charitable Trusts, Inc. and the Sunshine Camp.
Attendees heard from a current staff member and past camper about the impact camp has had on them as well as information about upcoming projects and future plans for the campus. Additionally a beautiful mural was unveiled that each member is able to sign their name to as a member of the Society.
To learn more about how to become a member of our Sunshine Society or to make us aware of your estate plans contact Heather King at 585-546-7435 x203 or heather@rochesterrotary.org
2024 SUNSHINE CAMP GOLF INVITATIONAL
Our August tournament felt a bit more like mid-October with a chilly drizzle filled day but golfers toughed it out and had fun playing the tournament and gathering post-play for a great dinner and bidding on some exciting auction items to raise funds for camp.
We are thankful to this year’s sponsors and all of our tournament participants!
S nshine Valentine
Rochester Rotary Sunshine Camp will be selling a variety of Valentine’s Day packages with the help of our partners at Kittelberger Florist, Lisa’s Liquor Barn, and Andy’s Candies, with all proceeds benefiting Sunshine Camp. Packages will be available for both pick up and delivery.
Every package will include a card from a Sunshine Camper to share the impact of your gift. Visit sunshinevalentine.org for details about our 2025 packages!
Ames-Amzalak Memorial Trust
Branch-Wilbur Fund
B. Thomas Golisano Foundation
Charles J and Burton S August Family Foundation
Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation
Donald F. & Maxine B. Davison Foundation
Glover-Crask Foundation
J.M. McDonald Foundation, Inc.
Joseph Rippey Charitable Trust
Kathleen Brenneman Fund
Kelly for Kids Foundation
Kilian J. & Caroline F. Schmitt Foundation
Louis P. and Betty A. Iacona Fund
Marilyn Lichtman Foundation
M&T Bank Charitable Foundation
Rochester Area Community Foundation
Waldron Rise Foundation
William & Sheila Konar Foundation
