In 1998, Melissa Pandolfi was a 15 year-old Branford High School (BHS) athlete suddenly diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma. Thanks to Camp Rising Sun, what could have easily been the worst summer of Melissa’s young life instead turned into time of her life; and also helped shape her for life.

Following her first camp experience, Melissa returned as an enthusiastic camper for two years, then went on to volunteer as a camp counselor, an annual role she’s now filled for more than 16 years. Melissa’s family still lives in Branford, but she’s recently moved to Milford from Manhattan while continuing her day job as a corporate archivist for the Estee Lauder Corporation in New York City. For one August week each year, however, she can be found at Camp Rising Sun in Colebrook.

“Everybody knows at work I take my week off and head up to Cabin One,” says Melissa, who oversees the camp’s group of boys aged 5 to 9 residing in Cabin One. Camp Rising Sun is open to boys and girls aged 5 to 17.

This year, in addition to returning as camp counselor of Cabin One in August, Melissa is also co-chairing Camp Rising Sun’s annual Night Out coming to Branford’s Owenego Inn on Wednesday, July 15, from 6 to 10 p.m. How does she do it all?

“My two-hour train commute is dedicated to Camp Rising Sun,” says Melissa, laughing.

Sponsored by non-profit Camp Rising Sun Charitable Foundation and organized by staff and the families of campers, family-friendly annual Night Out invites supporters to buy a ticket and enjoy a delicious cook-out buffet, live music, kids’ activities, silent auction, and raffle at the Owenego’s beautiful beachside venue. Attendance is once again hoped to top 500.

“There’s a huge tent and it’s just a laid-back, fun charity event. We have Vivid, a rock band, which volunteers to play for us; a great cook-out; non-alcoholic beverages and a cash bar; and the raffle gifts and silent auction items are awesome,” says Melissa.

Melissa reached out to many local merchants for prizes and auction items. Offerings include a stand-up paddleboard, Disney tickets, autographed sports memorabilia, and more. All annual Night Out proceeds benefit camp experiences for kids at Camp Rising Sun.

“This event is a community effort, where area businesses donate, residents from local communities attend, and campers come to celebrate with their families,” says Melissa, adding, “It’s our largest fundraiser of the year. Our whole goal is to raise enough so these children can come to camp for free for one week in the summer, and to our mini-camp reunion weekend one day and night in March.”

Melissa well recalls her initial reluctance to attend Camp Rising Sun as a 15 year-old.

“I was 15 and thought camp was not for me,” she says. “I was going through treatment. I had no hair.”

To this day, Melissa’s grateful to have heeded the persuasive recommendation of her pediatric oncologist, Dr. Joseph McNamara of Guilford, known fondly to his patient families as “Dr. Joe.” A past Guilford Courier Person of the Week, McNamara is a founding supporter of Camp Rising Sun, which was established more than 30 years ago.

“He is still volunteering there and he’s still our camp oncologist,” says Melissa. “Fifty-five percent of campers are Dr. Joe’s patients, which makes it like a second family. He takes everybody underneath his wing, and goes to camp with us, and makes you feel at home. I remember he kind of nudged me to go that first time, and told me, ‘You’re going to have fun.’ Most of the kids who go there are cancer survivors, with maybe 10 percent going through treatment, but everybody knows what you’re going through. Everybody in my cabin had all their hair, and that gave me hope.”

Back to the Beginning

Melissa was an active teen when she was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma. The bone cancer was found on her right hip and femur.

“At the time, I was active in track and cheerleading and I’d started limping during the summer,” she says.

Although nothing was found in a first X-ray, her family’s persistence and a second X-ray about a month later revealed a telltale shadow on Melissa’s femur. Melissa’s treatment was successful and led to remission, much like it did for Jordan Mann, an eight year-old Branford youth diagnosed in 1998 with the same disease. Jordan and Melissa met in 1998 at Camp Rising Sun. Thanks to a special bond they formed at camp, they’ve become lifelong friends. The two are co-chairing this year’s annual Night Out to help give back to the place that gave so much to them.

“Being a camper at Camp Rising Sun made me forget about my treatments and forget what I was going through,” says Jordan. “The counselors made me feel like a normal kid enjoying a week at camp. The money raised on July 15 will allow 115 campers to experience the same excitement and feeling I did when I was a camper.”

That’s a repeat of last year’s record number of campers, notes Melissa, which is why having a very successful annual Night Out is so important. The 2014 camp roster swelled with additional students from out-of-state after the American Cancer Society dropped funding for pediatric cancer camps two years ago.

“We were lucky enough to have Camp Rising Sun Foundation on the back burner for funding, but we inherited a lot of campers from Rhode Island,” where camps lost funding, Melissa explains. “The money we raised last year included enough to send buses up to Providence pick up kids and even some counselors, so families wouldn’t have to pay for the extra travel. We’re trying to continue to do that. It is our goal as a charitable foundation to make camp available for all of these kids, year after year.”

This year’s Camp Rising Sun takes place Aug. 23 to 28 and offers traditional summer activities including swimming, fireworks, barbecues, board games, hiking, horseback riding, and boating. The week allows campers to build lifelong friendships and recognize they’re not alone in their cancer journey, says Melissa.

In addition to an on-site oncologist, the camp has four nurses available—but, as Melissa points out, “when you get there, you don’t talk about cancer. It’s really a camp—a truly awesome camp.”

For all that Camp Rising Sun provides, Melissa says none of it would be possible without the generous support of people who volunteer, make contributions, or attend the annual Night Out. She especially thanks Branford’s Acting Fire Chief/Fire Marshal Shaun Heffernan for his years of dedicated volunteer service to the foundation and camp, and she credits him with moving Night Out, now in its 14th year, from New Haven to Branford a few years back. The move to the Owenego was also made possible by the generosity of Owenego co-owner John Bloomquist and his family, she adds.

“When Shaun got involved, he saw we needed to take it to the next level, and with his help and wonderful connections, we did,” says Melissa. “Connecting us with John Bloomquist at the Owenego was a perfect partnership, and to have John’s family hosting it, donating their time and volunteering, means so much.”

Annual Night Out takes place in Branford but Melissa emphasizes it’s a shoreline event for a camp that serves so many across the shoreline.

“It’s a great community event. It’s definitely not just Branford residents attending; it’s the whole shoreline community, because the majority of campers are located in shoreline community,” Melissa says. “We also have a lot of volunteers from the local shoreline. So it’s really a time for the whole shoreline community to get together and raise funds for an amazing cause.”

Camp Rising Sun presents the 14th annual Night Out July 15, from 6 to 10 p.m. at Owenego Inn and Beach Club, 40 Linden Avenue, Branford. Tickets ($25 adults; $10 for kids aged 3 to 15; campers free) are available now at www.camprisingsun.org (recommended) or at the door. Individuals, organizations or businesses interested in making a donation or providing a camp sponsorship may email info@camprisingsun.com.