Sunrise Magic Makers Podcast

Sunrise Association
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Sunrise Magic Makers is the official podcast of Sunrise Association, celebrating 20 summers of bringing childhood joy to children with cancer and their siblings—always free of charge. Each episode features heartfelt, unscripted conversations with the people behind the magic: campers, counselors, volunteers, supporters, and leaders. Tune in for inspiring stories of hope, resilience, and the community that makes Sunrise shine.

  1. Sep 29

    "We Don't Want to Shape Them to Be Patients": Nina Pickett on Why Childhood Is Essential

    When Arnie Preminger first brought his idea for a day camp to Memorial Sloan Kettering, Nina Pickett handed him a list of about ten conditions: it had to include siblings, it had to be free, and it had to have real medical support on site. To every single one, he answered, "I can do that." Nina, who spent decades leading pediatrics at MSK, went on to become Sunrise Association's inaugural board chair, and she's been part of the story ever since. In this conversation, she shares what she's seen from both the hospital and the camp side: why giving children back a sense of choice builds something deep inside them, why siblings hold a special place in her heart, and why childhood is about far more than play. Her answer to what makes the magic is simple: the campers, children who just want to be children, and a place that lets them.Topics Covered:How Arnie Preminger's vision for a Long Island day camp first landed at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and why Nina expected it to be "a little puddle"The list of non-negotiables Nina gave Arnie (siblings included, free of charge, medical support on site) and his answer to every oneServing as Sunrise Association's inaugural board chair, going back to the early days when it was a small board building one camp on Long IslandWhy the campers are the magic: children want to be children, not defined by an illnessThe sibling experience, why so much of it happens on the inside, and what changes when a sibling meets someone who gets itChoice and control as the root of self-esteem, from Sunrise on Wheels volunteers in the hospital to kids running their own day at campFrom hood up to leading songs at Roundup: a moment at Horizon Day Camp in Baltimore, and what a focus group of teens and young adults taught Nina about isolationThe Sunrise Effect: how the Tel Aviv University impact study validated what clinicians had seen for years, especially in illness management and stress and anxiety reductionThe relief of being normalized, whether that's jumping in the pool or learning to trust caring adults againChildhood is Essential: friendships, peer learning, discovering that not every moment is a success, and why "we don't want to shape them to be patients"Sunrise's growth, including the opening of its first camp inside a hospital on the day this episode was recordedAbout Sunrise Association The Sunrise Association brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide through the creation of inclusive day camps, year-round programs, and in-hospital recreational activities, all completely free of charge. We serve approximately 75,000 children annually across 15 summer day camps, 90+ weekly in-hospital programs, and virtual platforms.Learn more at Sunrise Association - https://www.sunriseassociation.org/

  2. Aug 28

    "That's the Lady Who Told Me About Sunrise Day Camp": Joy Zelin's Paul McCartney Story

    Joy Zelin walked into her first Sunrise Day Camp convinced she wouldn't be able to handle what she was about to see. What she found instead were the happiest kids in the world, and a purpose she never went looking for. Today she is Board Chair of Sunrise Association, and she has visited roughly ten camps across the country, from Long Island to Atlanta, where the accents change but the songs and the morning Roundup never do. In this episode, Joy shares the story of a nervous four-year-old who came running across the field two summers later to hug his aunt, the lesson she teaches her husband's new associates every year about what money can and cannot buy you, and the Christmas morning she walked up to Paul McCartney in a hotel buffet room to tell him that one of his concerts is the reason 14 Sunrise camps exist. It is a conversation about showing up, and about what happens when you do. Topics Covered: How a cup of coffee in Westchester, hosted while Sunrise was opening its Pearl River camp, turned into a lifelong commitment Why Joy was nervous before her first camp visit, and what actually happened when she walked through the gate What it's like to visit nearly ten Sunrise camps, and what stays exactly the same at every single one Aurora, Horizon, Sunrise: why the name on the sign never changes the feeling on the field Growing from one camp to a national and international footprint while holding onto the one Sunrise family culture The lesson Joy teaches a new class of young professionals at camp every summer about philanthropy, presence, and joy The story of a four-year-old camper, his nervous mother and aunt, and the run across the field that made it all real Why children in the hospital miss more than school, and how camp restores the social and emotional experiences of childhood Joy's own camp roots, and the friendships from childhood camp that she still has today The full Paul McCartney story: the concert ticket that inspired Arnie Preminger, the hotel buffet room, the Sunrise hat, and the fist bump at dinner The open invitation still standing for Sir Paul to visit a Sunrise camp ✨ About Sunrise Association The Sunrise Association brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide through the creation of inclusive day camps, year-round programs, and in-hospital recreational activities, all completely free of charge. We serve approximately 77,000 children annually across 15 day camps, 85+ weekly in-hospital programs, and virtual platforms. Learn more at Sunrise Association - https://www.sunriseassociation.org/

  3. Jul 29

    "I Would Have Been a Camper Here": Michael Rosenberg on Laura, Legacy, and Color War

    When Michael Rosenberg walks onto the Long Island campgrounds, he sees the seven year old version of himself. That's how old he was in 1979, when his sister Laura was diagnosed, and it's why he says he would have been a camper here, and probably a wild one. For more than 40 years, the foundation his family built in Laura's name has funded programs that give kids and their siblings something to look forward to, and in 2006 it became Sunrise Association's very first donor after a single meeting Michael still remembers like it was yesterday. In this conversation, he traces the line from his mother's handwritten mission statement to a $1 million gift for national expansion, and explains why he'd rather sponsor a Color War than write a check to the general fund. This summer, that instinct turned a beloved Long Island tradition into a nationwide celebration, with Color War boxes shipping to Sunrise camps across the country. Topics Covered: • How the Laura Rosenberg Foundation began after Laura's diagnosis in 1979, and the mission statement Michael's mother wrote by hand • The family roles that built the foundation: his mother as the cheerleader, his father as the architect • Black tie dinner dances in the middle of February that brought 300 to 400 people together • The foundation's earliest program grants, including a 1981 sleepaway camp, a clown care program, and SIBS Place on Long Island • The 2006 meeting that made the Laura Rosenberg Foundation Sunrise's first donor, and the entree it provided at Memorial Sloan Kettering • What it means for a sibling to walk into a camp built for siblings, and the flashbacks that come with it • The Sunrise projects carrying Laura's name: the Sunrise on Wheels trunk, the Laura Rosenberg STEAM Shack, and the Laura Rosenberg Hangar • Why the foundation shifted away from naming opportunities toward strategic, outcome-focused giving • A $1 million gift toward national expansion and what it helped make possible • Visiting Sunrise camps around the country and finding the same feeling in every one of them • Eleven years of Color War, from volunteer to co-planner alongside board member David Miller • Legendary breakout themes, including four Disney parks arriving on 18 wheelers and a decades theme with 20 classic cars • Bringing Color War to Sunrise camps nationwide this summer through Color War boxes, from Dr. Seuss hats on Long Island to construction hats in Greater Washington Links & Resources: The Laura Rosenberg Foundation → https://www.thelaurarosenbergfoundati... About Sunrise Association The Sunrise Association brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide through the creation of inclusive day camps, year-round programs, and in-hospital recreational activities, all completely free of charge. We serve nearly 77,000 children annually across 15 summer day camps, 85+ weekly in-hospital programs, and virtual platforms. Learn more at Sunrise Association - https://www.sunriseassociation.org/

  4. Jun 29

    Hope, Healing & Happiness: The Story Behind Sunrise H Camp

    What if camp could come to the kids who can't come to camp? In this episode, we sit down with Deanna Slade, Sunrise's Vice President of Camping Services, and Meredith George, a Child Life Specialist at Monroe Carroll Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, to introduce Sunrise H Camp, the organization's first ever in-hospital summer day camp. The "H" stands for Hope, Healing, and Happiness, and that spirit shows up in every detail, from a “campfire” and camp songs in the waiting room to themed activity spaces reimagined fresh each day. Deanna and Meredith share how a beloved Sunrise on Wheels partnership grew into a full pilot program, why these children deserve every chance to simply feel like kids, and how the Tel Aviv University impact study gave them even more reason to dream big. It's a conversation about meeting children right where they are and turning a hospital day into something to look forward to.  Topics Covered:  How the Sunrise on Wheels partnership in Vanderbilt's infusion clinic sparked the idea for H Camp  What the "H" in H Camp really stands for: Hope, Healing, and Happiness  Why a brand-new child life therapeutic space made Vanderbilt the right place to launch  A walk-through of a full day at H Camp, from the waiting room campfire to themed activity rooms  What carries over from Sunrise's in-person camps and what gets modified for a hospital setting  Keeping immunocompromised children safe while keeping the magic of camp fully intact  Bringing activities right to the infusion bays so no child misses out on the fun  How Vanderbilt's nurses and child life specialists are "all in," costumes and all  What the Tel Aviv University study revealed about resilience and the Sunrise Effect  The dream for H Camp's future and what an in-hospital camp could become anywhere there's a need    About Sunrise Association  The Sunrise Association brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide through inclusive day camps, year-round programs, and in-hospital recreational activities, all completely free of charge. Founded in 2006 with one camp and 96 campers, Sunrise now reaches nearly 77,000 children annually across 14 summer day camps, 85+ weekly in-hospital programs, and virtual platforms.  Learn more at Sunrise Association → https://www.sunriseassociation.org/

  5. May 28

    Camp Without Walls: How Sunrise VX Brings the Magic Anywhere

    A parent once emailed Athena Levesque after a low-key March Madness game night on Zoom to say it was the first time she'd seen her son smile in a long time. That moment, not the celebrity guests or the Hollywood cameos, is what Athena points to when she explains why SunriseVX matters. As Director of SunriseVX, she runs a virtual camp that reaches kids from their homes, their cars on the way to treatment, and their hospital beds, sometimes from across the world. In this episode, she takes us inside a day at virtual camp, from age-specific programming to the all-camp "hullabaloo," and shares how real friendships form in a space these children may never share in person. She also pulls back the curtain on Wheels Up, the travel-adventure series now reaching tens of thousands of kids in over 200 hospitals across seven countries, and the careful, intentional work that goes into making every minute of it feel like a true escape.  Topics Covered:  How SunriseVX grew into a year-round virtual camp launched in 2022  Where campers join from: home, hospital beds, the car on the way to treatment, and countries including Canada, Ireland, and the Dominican Republic  What a day at virtual camp actually looks like, broken down by littles, elementary, and teens  "Hullabaloo," the all-ages daily gathering, plus virtual twists on camp traditions like golden spoons  How genuine friendships and counselor connections give kids a space to just be kids  The March Madness game night that became Athena's defining memory of why this work matters  Special guests who've joined VX, from Ryan Reynolds and Lucasfilm to a card-guessing magician and K-pop Demon Hunters cast  How VX serves all Sunrise campers and creates community across every camp  The flexibility that lets kids drop in for ten minutes or every single day, and move between virtual and in-person as their needs change  Wheels Up: the American Airlines-sponsored travel series now in 200+ hospitals and seven countries, with translations into Spanish and Hebrew with Arabic subtitles  The intentional scriptwriting choices that keep content accessible and comfortable for kids in treatment  Links & Resources:  Learn more about Sunrise VX and virtual programs → https://sunrisedaycamp.org/vx/  About Sunrise Association The Sunrise Association brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide through the creation of inclusive day camps, year-round programs, and in-hospital recreational activities, all completely free of charge. We serve nearly 77,000 children annually across 14 summer day camps, 85+ weekly in-hospital programs, and virtual platforms.  Learn more at Sunrise Association - https://www.sunriseassociation.org/

  6. Apr 30

    Closing the Umbrella: Dr. Carolyn Fein Levy on What Happens to Families When Treatment Ends

    Dr. Carolyn Fein Levy carries a story most pediatric oncologists do not. At age eleven, she was diagnosed with a malignant ovarian tumor. Today, she leads pediatric solid tumor care at Cohen Children's Medical Center, and she has been part of the Sunrise story since the very first summer in 2006. In this conversation, she shares why her mother became her "sunrise" long before a camp by that name existed, what she sees in her exam room when a Sunrise camper walks in versus when one does not, and why she launched Closing the Umbrella, a caregiver wellness program coming to Sunrise Day Camp-Long Island on May 3, 2026 in memory of her mother. It's a rare conversation with someone who has lived this from every angle: as a child patient, as a parent, as a physician, and as a Sunrise believer. Topics Covered: Dr. Fein Levy's diagnosis and how survivorship shaped her career Why "everyone just gets it" matters more than sympathy at Sunrise Day Camp What kids actually lose when they're pulled out of normal childhood and how camp gives it back Why siblings are the unseen patients in pediatric cancer The Sunrise Effect impact study and the science behind what camp does for kids Empathy versus sympathy and why campers need the first, not the second How camp builds resilience through real wins, real losses, and real social interaction Why so many former campers return as counselors, child life specialists, and physicians Closing the Umbrella: a new caregiver wellness program launching May 3, 2026 Links & Resources: Closing the Umbrella Symposium, Sunday, May 3, 2026, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Sunrise Day Camp-Long Island → https://www.sunrisedaycamp-longisland.org/2026symposiumAbout Sunrise Association The Sunrise Association brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide through the creation of inclusive day camps, year-round programs, and in-hospital recreational activities, all completely free of charge. We serve nearly 77,000 children annually across 14 summer day camps, 85+ weekly in-hospital programs, and virtual platforms.

  7. Apr 23

    Her Sister Had Cancer. Camp Gave Her a Place to Just Be a Kid.

    When Lucy’s younger sister Penny was diagnosed with leukemia at age eight, Lucy’s world shifted overnight. She went from sharing a bedroom with her sister to staring at a perfectly made, empty bed. At school, everyone in their small town seemed to know more about Penny’s diagnosis than Lucy did, and she didn’t have answers for the flood of questions. Then Lucy came to Sunrise Day Camp Long Island, and everything changed. In this episode, 12-year-old Lucy shares what it’s really like to be a sibling, how camp became the one place where nobody asks intrusive questions, and why she now counts down the days until summer. Her advice to any kid or parent on the fence? “You just have to go.”Topics Covered:• What it’s like to be a sibling of a child with cancer: the confusion, the empty bedroom, the unanswered questions• How Lucy’s small-town community reacted to Penny’s diagnosis, and how classmates and friends treated her differently• Penny’s leukemia diagnosis and treatment journey, and how the family navigated long separations• Lucy’s first year at Sunrise without her sister, and the fear and uncertainty of arriving alone• What makes Sunrise different from every other camp: no intrusive questions, no being treated differently, just belonging• How camp feels "normal" and why nobody talks about cancer at Sunrise• Lucy’s favorite camp activities: art, ropes, train, pool, and Color War• Meeting best friend Adriana and the friendships that make camp feel like family• The wellness staff and why parents don’t need to worry about safety at Sunrise• Lucy’s message to hesitant kids and parents: "You just have to go. Everyone’s so nice. You’ll have the best time."Links & Resources:• Learn more about the 20 Summers of Sunrise Magic campaign → sunriseassociation.org/20-summersAbout Sunrise AssociationThe Sunrise Association brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide through the creation of inclusive day camps, year-round programs, and in-hospital recreational activities, all completely free of charge. We serve nearly 69,000 children annually across 14 summer day camps, 85+ weekly in-hospital programs, and virtual platforms. Learn more at sunriseassociation.org

  8. Feb 27

    From Art Director to VP of Camping: Growing Up With Sunrise

    Deanna Slade has spent nearly two decades watching Sunrise magic unfold, from the very first summers to today’s full-circle moments when former campers return as staff. She shares what “magic” really means at Sunrise: a place where children are seen as kids first, not patients, and where joy becomes something families carry home long after the camp day ends. Deanna also reflects on the real, measurable impact of camp, including confidence and resilience, through a story of a camper who stepped onto the Sunrise stage and later found the courage to join her school play. Topics Covered• Deanna’s Sunrise journey, from Art Director to VP of Camping and Related Serious • Defining “Sunrise magic” for campers, families, and staff• How camp creates a “regular kid” space and why that matters• Impact and outcomes: confidence, resilience, hope, and what families report over time• The “Sunrise Got Talent” story and a camper’s confidence breakthrough• Campers becoming counselors and the full-circle Sunrise cycle• Childhood as skill-building: social skills, patience, teamwork, coping, and more• Why Sunrise is a place of acceptance, tolerance, and authentic belonging• “Come see it” and why visiting a camp changes everything• One Sunrise family across every camp communityAbout Sunrise AssociationThe Sunrise Association brings back the joys of childhood to children with cancer and their siblings worldwide through the creation of inclusive day camps, year-round programs, and in-hospital recreational activities, all completely free of charge. We serve nearly 69,000 children annually through day camps, in-hospital programs, and virtual platforms.Learn more at https://www.sunriseassociation.org/

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About

Sunrise Magic Makers is the official podcast of Sunrise Association, celebrating 20 summers of bringing childhood joy to children with cancer and their siblings—always free of charge. Each episode features heartfelt, unscripted conversations with the people behind the magic: campers, counselors, volunteers, supporters, and leaders. Tune in for inspiring stories of hope, resilience, and the community that makes Sunrise shine.

Information

  • Creator
    Sunrise Association
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sunrise Association
  • Show Website
    Sunrise Magic Makers Podcast