Shining Some Love for Camp Sunshine

Thirsty? Then plan on throwing back some margaritas while raising money for a good cause as is holding a fundraiser for Camp Sunshine on Thursday night.

Camp Sunshine is a non-profit organization that sends children recovering from cancer to summer camp, in addition to other programs like trips to baseball games and Washington D.C.

“Camp Sunshine is a little bit of a misnomer in that we do programs year-round,” said Eric Newburg, co-owner of Lime and Camp Sunshine treasurer. “I think we had programs over 250 days last year. Our goal is to be able to reach out to every child with cancer in the state of Georgia.”

Newburg explained that the goal of Camp Sunshine is to provide children with cancer the same childhood experiences as their peers.

“If you think about growing up, a lot of kids are given the opportunity through school to go to D.C. and see the capitol and learn how the U.S. government operates,” he said. “Well, a lot of our kids aren’t able to do that because they’re either sick at the time or their parents are uncomfortable given their disease for them to go up and experience that. 

Newburg has been involved with Camp Sunshine since he moved to Atlanta 19 years ago. He has served as treasurer for the past seven years.

“When I moved to Atlanta I was just looking for a charitable organization to get involved with,” he said. “And my father had been an oncologist down in Orlando and I had always been into camping. I’d been to camp myself and been a counselor when I was younger so it seemed like a perfect fit when I found out about it.”

This will be the second fundraiser Lime has held for Camp Sunshine. The previous fundraiser was held two years ago and raised several thousand dollars for the Keencheefoonee Road Race, said Julie Sullivan Mayfield, a Camp Sunshine volunteer.

In addition to being a co-owner of , Mayfield is also on a research team at the American Cancer Society where she’s working on a new study, Cancer Prevention Study-3. 

This summer will be Sullivan’s 13th year volunteering with Camp Sunshine.

“From the moment I arrived there at camp, I knew this was something I needed to be a part of,” she said. “The kids were doing things many of them (or their parents) never thought possible, and perhaps most importantly, just getting to be kids for a week, with other kids who know what it's like to walk in their shoes. It is an honor and a privilege to get to give of my time to help make this week possible, and I always say that I gain more out of these years of experience than I could ever possibly give back.”

This year’s Lime fundraiser will feature a special "Camp Sunshine Margarita." All the money made from the sale of the margarita will be donated to Camp Sunshine. In addition, Lime will be donating a percentage of its sales to Camp Sunshine at the end of the night. 

“Our goal is to raise as much money for Camp Sunshine as possible, as we strongly believe that every single child with cancer in Georgia deserves a week at Camp Sunshine!” Mayfield said.

All of Camp Sunshine’s programs are free to participants, which is why fundraisers like the one at Lime are so important, Newburg said.

Newburg explained that it costs about $500 to send a child to camp for a week. Last year Camp Sunshine sent about 400 kids to camp.

“If you had cancer as a child then you are eligible to be involved in Camp Sunshine because we want the kids to see all aspects or all phases: when you’re newly diagnosed, going through treatment, when you’re recovering and when you’ve beaten it,” he said. “We want them to see all sides you know from the beginning to the end.” 

Thursday’s event is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Lime Taqueria at 4600 West Village Place. But even if you don’t like margaritas or can’t attend, you can still donate to Camp Sunshine here.