Camp Sunshine Honors New York Waterway as Part of A.J.’s New Jersey Polar Dip Jan. 31 in Long Branch
January 17, 2009
Freezin’ for a Reason! – Goal to raise more than $60,000 to help send 40 families to one-of-a-kind national retreat
(Long Beach, N.J.) Camp Sunshine is honoring New York Waterway as part of its third annual A.J.’s New Jersey Polar Dip at Avenue Beach Club in Long Branch on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Participants will plunge into frigid waters of the Atlantic at 2 p.m. to raise money for Camp Sunshine, a one-of-a-kind national retreat in Maine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Anyone can show their support by joining the 15 New York Waterway employees and friends already taking part in this year’s event.
Participants can register for the New Jersey Polar Dip and obtain pledge forms at www.freezinforareason.com. Each “plunger” must raise a minimum of $100 in pledges, and will receive a commemorative, highly coveted Freezin’ for a Reason® t-shirt. The top fundraiser for the New Jersey Polar Dip will receive their choice of a Nikon Coolpix S51 Digital Camera, Nintendo Wii System or Garmin Nuvi 200 GPS System.
The annual polar dip is taking on special meaning this year as one of the event sponsors is New York Waterway, the ferry service and cruise operator credited for its heroic role in the rescue of passengers from the US Airways jet that made an emergency landing in the Hudson River on Jan. 14. Polar dippers planning to take part Jan. 31 to raise money to help New Jersey families with ill children now have the added incentive of participating as a show of thanks to New York Waterway.
“The quick response and valiant efforts by New York Waterway employees helped prevent any loss of life and avoid a real tragedy,” said Michael Smith, Camp Sunshine’s director of special events. “Knowing they are a sponsor of our event, we want to take the opportunity to say thank you to them for the heroism that was displayed.”
Camp Sunshine named New York Waterway the Honorary Presenter for this year’s event. Other sponsors include Shops at Pier Village and G Rock Radio.
Last year’s A.J.’s New Jersey Polar Dip raised more than $50,000 to help send New Jersey families to Camp Sunshine. “This year we hope to raise in excess of $60,000 with the community’s support, which is enough to fund an entire session for 40 families to Camp Sunshine,” Smith said.
“The reality of this event is that the discomfort our plungers feel for just a moment will never compare to what our families go through during the course of their child’s illness,” Smith said. “It’s for the families and children that we plunge. We call it ‘Freezin’ for a Reason.’ “
Camp Sunshine
Nestled alongside the shores of beautiful Sebago Lake in Casco, Maine, Camp Sunshine offers children with life threatening illnesses and their families a place to relax together for a week, and to take a break from the extraordinary demands placed on them on a daily basis. The year-round program is free of charge and staffed almost entirely by volunteers. It is the only program in the nation whose mission is to address the impact of a life-threatening illness on every member of the immediate family – the ill child, the parents, and the siblings. In addition to providing 24-hour onsite medical and psychosocial support, the camp offers a variety of daily activities ranging from swimming and boating to archery and soccer and special events such as bonfires and cookouts.
Why a New Jersey based event for a camp in Maine?
Since 1984, Camp Sunshine has provided a haven for more than 28,000 family members from 46 states and 15 countries. More than 800 of these families have come from New Jersey. Last year, nearly 100 New Jersey families applied to attend Camp Sunshine. Sadly, even with multiple sessions being added annually at Camp Sunshine, there are still many more children from New Jersey being newly diagnosed each year.
Camp Sunshine continues to be recommended by the following New Jersey treatment centers: Hackensack University Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, Morristown Memorial Hospital, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital/The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and St. Barnabas Hospital.
Who is A.J.?
A.J. Cincotta-Eichenfield was literally born into Camp Sunshine. It is his second home and he is as much a part of the facility as the concrete in the floors. The son of Psychosocial Director Nancy Cincotta and Medical Director Andrew Eichenfield, he has seen thousands of families with ill children come through the doors of Camp Sunshine and has made many friends along the way. A.J. decided to start a polar dip as a way to raise money for Camp. He began asking family and friends to pledge to his plunge. Support for the most recognized face at Camp Sunshine snowballed, and this year marks the third annual event.
To support Camp Sunshine, please call (207) 655-3800 or visit www.campsunshine.org.
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