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Freezin' for a reason in Amityville
The event helped to raise $32,000- $7,000 more than its goal of $25,000, said Ashley Riley, a spokeswoman for Camp Sunshine. "As a result, we can send 16 families from Long Island to camp this year." Joining in that effort were Amityville Trustees Joe Slack and Ed Johnson. "It is always great when local officials from the area "jump" in and help raise money," said Riley. "They did pretty well." Johnson said that he was impressed by the way in which the event was organized and that he and the other Village officials said they'd like to make this an annual event in Amityville. "It was pretty cold in that water but it is for a wonderful cause," said Johnson. "I did it, but I will never do it again," said Slack who lost his glasses while taking the plunge. "I think my false knee froze up. Two very nice young guys pulled me out." The Amityville beach was selected by the group after a search of the Long Island South Shore for an appropriate location to conduct the fundraiser, said Michael Smith, the camp's director of events. Since the opening of the year-round campus in 2001, more ill children and their families have come from New York (many from the Long Island area) than any other state in the nation. In 2007, 190 families from New York participated in the program, said organizers. Camp Sunshine is set along the shores of Sebago Lake in Casco, Maine. 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.
Camp Sunshine can be reached by phone at (207) 655-3800 or on the internet at www.campsunshine.org.
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