Grand Rapids, Mich.—Mechanical contractor and fabricator Andy J. Egan Co. (Egan) presented Camp Sunshine with a $10,000 donation yesterday, as part of the company’s $100k Community Giveaway. The company is awarding 10 West Michigan charities with donations in 2019, in celebration of its 100th Anniversary, and Camp Sunshine is the second charity to be selected.
Camp Sunshine offers people with developmental disabilities the opportunity to attend camp in a safe, caring and inclusive environment. In 2018, Camp Sunshine welcomed 277 campers to its two locations -- Camp Blodgett in West Olive and Camp Henry in Newaygo -- for four-day camping experiences designed to meet these campers’ unique needs.
“When we learned about the work Camp Sunshine does, the committee members paused to reflect on their own summer camp memories,” says Beth Jester, spokesperson for Egan. “Whether they attended summer camp in their youth or continue a camping tradition with their family, so many of our employees are serious outdoors enthusiasts. Everyone should have that experience – especially in West Michigan – and we were so impressed with Camp Sunshine’s ability to deliver that experience for its campers.”
Even with last year’s record attendance, the camp continues to have a waitlist of eager campers in the tri-county area. Camp Sunshine’s 2019 goals include increasing its capacity to serve new campers, creating new experiences for current campers, and introducing off-season programming. The $10,000 donation will be used to meet these goals.
“We were so pleased to hear that our mission sparked the committee members’ own memories of their camp experience and are honored to have been selected. The very reason Camp Sunshine was founded was to provide individuals with unique needs the camping experience that many other West Michigan individuals enjoyed. 36 years later, campers and their 1:1 counselors alike seek the unconditionally accepting and inclusive environment that Camp Sunshine offers,” says Taylor Antoski, executive director of Camp Sunshine. “These funds will tremendously impact our ability to offer this experience to current and future participants in many exciting ways”.
For more information on Camp Sunshine, visit www.campsunshinemichigan.org. Egan will continue to announce the area charities selected to receive a $10,000 donation each month through November. Recipients will be listed at www.Egan100.com, as well as on the company’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram pages. For more information on the Egan $100k Community Giveaway, visit www.Egan100.com or email egan100@andyegan.com.