Volunteering was a significant aspect of Feehan that drew me to this school. I have volunteered for many hours, but my all-time favorite was Camp Sunshine. The friendships I created, the memories I’ve made, and the people I have helped are unforgettable.
Camp Sunshine is a camp created for families affected by terminal illnesses to escape to “normalcy” for a week. Created in 1984 by the Gould family, it has helped over 60,000 ill children, siblings, and parents from all 50 US states and 27 countries. They have various activities to entertain guests of all ages and even have informational sessions about the disease of the week to bring awareness to it. While Camp Sunshine has been established for 35+ years, this fantastic program was only brought to Feehan 15 years ago by Mrs. Gallagher. Thanks to her, 20 juniors go on this special trip and return with memories to last a lifetime.
My favorite thing about Camp Sunshine is the friends that I have made because of it. It was an excellent opportunity to get to know girls I had never talked to before, as I would live with them for a week. My favorite part of the day was any time where I could socialize with the families there, during meals, free time, and pickup and drop off; it was very intriguing to hear from the parents and what they were experiencing daily.
During the week I went, the illness that was being represented was Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome (SDS). This syndrome causes the bone marrow not to produce enough white blood cells, making those affected more prone to infections and even making them more likely to get leukemia. This is a relatively rare disease I had not heard of before, so it was fascinating to learn about it and how it affected those around me.
Even though Feehan provides many fantastic opportunities to volunteer and help the community around you, Camp Sunshine was my favorite volunteering endeavor from start to finish. I couldn’t recommend it enough!
