Around 400 campers descended on Rutledge from June 22-July 4 for a week-long respite from cancer and a chance to be children again, and several of Covington’s most philanthropic business owners and leaders were there to greet them.
Throughout the last 17 years the Covington Rotary Club has helped welcome children from around the state to Camp Sunshine with a smile.

The club continued doing that starting last Sunday, welcoming high school aged campers, all diagnosed with cancer, to Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge. The campers began early Sunday preparing to welcome campers with cool drinks and some snacks to inspire conversation and camaraderie during their six days there.

The club will head back to the camp this Sunday welcoming junior campers to Camp Sunshine and Camp Twin Lakes.
“We go to registration day and provide refreshments, cokes, drinks and cookies and stuff,” said Doug Bolton, who has been volunteering at Camp Sunshine with the Covington Rotary Club for 10 years. “It’s kind of an ice breaker for the kids. They deal with life stresses all the time and may be there for the first time.”

The Covington Rotary Club supplies the refreshments and volunteers to deliver them annually, along with donating frequently to Camp Sunshine.

“For us it tickles our hearts and helps us do things that a lot of us can associate with,” Bolton said. “We just want to be a part of it and help them as much as we can. We do other things with Camp Sunshine as well.”

For more information on Camp Sunshine, including where to donate, visit mycampsunshine.com.