Writer Lara Piu
Photographer Michelle Vosseller
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he first day Pam Metzger volunteered at Arizona Camp Sunrise, a summer camp for children with cancer, she was excited — and a little nervous. “Will I be a good counselor?” she wondered. “Will it be sad?”
Her co-worker at AG Communication Systems was the camp’s director and had persuaded Pam to volunteer. Held at R-C Scout Ranch outside of Payson, the weeklong summer camp brings together more than 200 children between the ages of 8 and 18 who are directly impacted by cancer to participate in arts and crafts, cookouts, campfires, rope courses and, of course, plenty of outdoor fun.
“I was fresh out of college, excited to start my adult life, and thought this would be a great chance to give back,” says Pam.
She walked into a new world.
“I made friendships with kids and staff that I still have to this day,” she says. “I had so much fun being silly.”
Pam has been a volunteer ever since that day in 1987. Now her husband, Mike, and kids are involved, too. They affectionately refer to their family of campers and volunteers as their “campily.”
“The volunteer staff and children are like a second family,” says Mike. “We plan our family vacations around camp every year to make sure we can attend.”
Their three daughters participate as campers during the day and help with setup, breakdown and paperwork during the before and after. When they turn 17, they’ll participate in the Leaders-in-Training (LIT) program to learn life skills and insight into what it takes to be a counselor at this very unique camp. Many campers become camp leaders through the program.
“I especially like to see campers transition from camper to LIT,” Pam says. “The kids get a flavor of responsibility, and it is so cool to watch how they step up to the task. Some campers have even returned to camp as adult volunteers. What a great circle.
“My hope is that our volunteer habits carry forward with our daughters as they move into their adult life.”
A month before each camp session, Pam prepares by going into what she calls “email, communication and paperwork mode.” As the camper coordinator, she works with more than 200 families, helping them register for sessions, reviewing all registration paperwork, answering questions and fielding the phone line.
Kids support each other and find out they are not alone.
“The good feeling I get from being a part of this fantastic team and the energy I receive during and after camp stays with me for awhile,” Pam adds. “I enjoy watching these kids grow up. The kids come to camp because of the common bond of having cancer or having a sibling with cancer, but they come back to camp because of the connections they’ve made and the fun we have.”
It takes more than 100 volunteers like Pam and her family to run things. Helping hands take care of logistics, activities, staffing, training, menu planning, paperwork and more.
“Volunteers are the life blood of our organization,” says Barb Nicholas, Arizona Camp Sunrise and Sidekicks executive director and chief development officer. “We cannot have our programs without them.”
Barb is Arizona Camp Sunrise and Sidekicks only staff member; otherwise, the organization relies on volunteers to organize camps, as well as other programs such as outings and fundraisers. More than 700 kids participated in 2016, and this year the organization celebrates its 35th anniversary.
The nonprofit’s signature program is Arizona Camp Sunrise.
“It gives these kids an opportunity to just be kids, to get out of the clinic or hospital and have a fun, exciting camp experience,” says Barb. “We have doctors and nurses at camp 24 hours a day if needed. It gives them a sense of normal; they are not the kid with cancer at our camp, they are just a kid at camp. They get to be with kids who are walking their journey, who have been through the same things. It is definitely a bonding experience and the kids make lifelong friends. I have never turned away a child from a camp program. One way or another, I find a way to make sure we can serve every child who wants to be a part of camp.”
Approximately eight camps are held each year in the form of weeklong camps, weekend retreats, family camps and day camps. Up next is a winter retreat for teens the first weekend of February.
“Camp is important to me because you can be yourself and you don’t have to worry about the outside world,” says camper Alexis Varin. “It’s a break from the hospital, and you get to do stuff you don’t get to do every day. You meet new people who have the same disease. You get to smile — a lot of people don’t smile when they are sick.”
Siblings attend camps, too. In fact, there’s even a summer retreat held exclusively for them.
“Parents came to us and said, ‘We love that you have the camp for our child who has cancer, but I have two other kids at home who are lost, afraid and need some attention. What can you do for them?’” Barb explains. “So we started this camp, and it has been so important to the kids. Our whole philosophy is that cancer affects the whole family, so we need to try to support the whole family through this. I have seen amazing things happen at this camp. Kids support one another and find out they are not alone.”
While the community has been supportive, the organization always needs volunteers and funding, according to Barbara.
“All of our programs are free of charge to the participants,” Barb says. “We cannot run these programs without donations.”
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