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07/05/2017 07:00 AMHe has ten years as a camp counselor under his belt, but talk to Jordan Mann for just a few minutes about what Camp Rising Sun means to him, and you get the sense he’d happily sign on as a counselor for the next ten decades, if he could.
Perhaps the greatest sign of Jordan’s support is that he gets together each year with one of his best childhood camping buddies, Melissa Pandolfi, to co-chair the shoreline’s huge Annual Night Out to benefit Camp Rising Sun. In fact, you could say Jordan’s just the right “Mann” for the job.
About 20 years ago, Jordan was just eight years old when he spent his first summer at the camp, known as “a place where kids with cancer have fun.” He kept going back as a camper until he was 17. At 18, Jordan returned as a volunteer camp counselor, and has kept returning every year.
“When I first started as counselor I had children that are now graduating camp. They were six years old and now they’re graduating camp...it’s like, whoa,” says Jordan, now 28. “It’s fun to see them grow up and get to experience all the parts of camp; and all the different levels of activities.”
Camp Rising Sun welcomes any child from ages 5 to 17 who has faced a cancer diagnosis. They can arrive in treatment, in remission, or anywhere in between. Held in the Colebrook hills at YMCA Camp Jewell, Camp Rising Sun’s week of fun and friendship is made possible by the generosity of donor support. There is no cost for campers to attend camp.
To help send kids to camp, the public is invited to support and enjoy Camp Rising Sun’s 16th Annual Night Out on Wednesday, July 12 from 6 to 10 p.m. The ticketed event takes place under a huge tent on the beautiful waterfront grounds of the Owenego Inn and Beach Club in Branford. Sponsored by the Camp Rising Sun Charitable Foundation and organized by staff and the families of campers, it features a cook-out buffet, live music from Vivid Rock, activities for kids, a silent auction, and raffle.
The night is a celebration for many of the families with kids who attend Camp Rising Sun and it’s also a great way for everyone in the community to experience just a small sample of what makes the camp so special to so many, says Jordan.
“It’s not only a great fundraiser for us, it’s a great way for us to get out the idea of camping and the fun we have with the kids—you get a glimpse of what camp’s all about,” he says. “We have activities like face painting and a crafts tent at the Annual Night Out, and because we have a lot of families and campers who attend, the families and the people who come out to support us get to see campers with other friends from camp having fun together. They get to see what we’re all about.”
In addition to building lifelong friendships, Camp Rising Sun helps kids realize they aren’t alone in the “cancer journey,” says Jordan. Camp takes place this year from Sunday, Aug. 20 through Friday, Aug. 25. Kids will enjoy classic summer activities like swimming, fireworks, barbecues, board games, hiking, horseback riding, boating, and much more.
Jordan still remembers his camp days fondly, and the friends he made, especially his best buddy, Melissa. Even though Jordan was 8 years-old and Melissa was 15 when they first met at Camp Rising Sun, their similarities created an instant bond. As youngsters, Jordan and Melissa were both diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer.
“Me and Melissa had the same exact bone cancer, in the exact same hip; and we’re from the same town – Branford,” says Jordan, a member of the Branford High School Class of 2008. “We even walk the same! We have this kind of click – we call it our ‘swag.’ We laugh and call ourselves #onehipwonder because between us, we have one good hip.”
Of course, experiencing cancer is no joke; and Jordan knows the value of the comfort and camaraderie that has become the hallmark of the Camp Rising Sun experience. Jordan, Melissa, and many other campers past and present thank their pediatric oncologist, Dr. Joseph McNamara of Guilford, for his efforts to help conceive and found full-care Camp Rising Sun over 30 years ago.
“We have a full medical staff there,” says Jordan. “So the kids can come to camp even if they’re right in the middle of treatment. They can even receive treatment at camp, if they need to.”
Jordan also thanks “Dr. Joe” for his continued support of the camp.
“He got me involved in it, and he’s very much involved to this day. Dr. Joe is one of its best supporters and he has such a big reach. I think that’s one of the reasons why Camp Rising Sun is so well known in New Haven county area, especially to families from Branford, Guilford, Madison, and Clinton,” says Jordan.
Even though the Annual Night Out is held in Branford, the event is geared to draw supporters from across the shoreline and the state, says Jordan.
“We always get great support from the Owenego; and you’ll see our signs all over Branford, but we also reach out to other towns and we get great support outside of Branford. We also have businesses from all over Connecticut that donate,” says Jordan.
The Mann family business, Richard Squeri Insurance Agency of Branford, is an avid Camp Rising Sun supporter and hosts a golf event each year to help raise funds.
“Because we have a family business, it also allows me to take the time to help coordinate the Annual Night Out. It also allows us, as a family, to give back to Camp Rising Sun,” says Jordan.
Like so many other former campers, Jordan also gives back to Camp Rising Sun as a counselor.
“Being a camper and knowing exactly what camp means just helps you be a counselor on a whole other level,” says Jordan, who has found many ways to relate to his kids. “I usually dye my hair a crazy color and rock that for a few days, and then I shave it all off. That way, I’m actually more connected to some of the kids that are going through chemo at that time—I can look just like them. And maybe that helps them a little bit.”
Like every kid at camp, Jordan’s cabin of kids (boys ages 9 through 12) have a blast with activities and offerings at Camp Rising Sun.
“There’s so much for them to do—rock climbing, rope swings, swimming, crafting, sports; and all of it is available in a way that everyone can be involved. With or without a handicap or if someone needs a little help, they’ll have it,” he says.
The ratio of counselors to campers is unprecedented—basically, one staffer for every two campers. Camp Rising Sun will welcome well over 100 children this year, and nearly as many adult volunteers.
“Everyone takes their vacation time from work for a whole week to go to this camp to volunteer,” says Jordan. “That just shows how important camp is to us.”
Camp Rising Sun’s Annual Night Out is on Wednesday, July 12 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Owenego Inn & Beach Club, 40 Linden Avenue, Branford. Tickets, which are $25 for adults and $10 for children ages 3 to 15, are available at www.camprisingsun.com or at the door. Money raised during the Annual Night Out directly benefits Camp Rising Sun.