When media visit Camp Rising Sun, they are allowed to interview campers. There is just one rule: Don’t mention the “C” word.
For 28 years now, children age 6 to 16 who have cancer or who have had cancer gather one week during the summer at Camp Pratt in Lowndes County for Camp Rising Sun.
It is a vacation in every conventional sense – and one unconventional sense, as well.
The kids swim, play games, ride horses, go on boat rides and engage in all sorts of activities normally associated with summer camp.
But they also enjoy another type of vacation – a vacation from cancer.
For many of the children, especially those who are still in treatment, cancer is a dominating presence in their lives for 51 weeks out of the year. It is a disease that often separates them from their healthy peers and many of the things that we associate with a normal life. Cancer is a difficult ordeal for anyone, and it is particularly difficult for children.
Summer camp is a special event for all children. For these children, it goes beyond special. It is a chance to be just a kid rather than a kid with cancer.
While special care is available for those who need it, it is the goal of the staff and administration of the camp to provide a camping experience that is an escape from the burdens that come with cancer. Nobody talks about cancer here. Nobody has time for it.
For almost three decades Camp Rising Sun has provided the kind of medicine that can’t be put into an IV drip or prescription bottle. What the camp provides is strong medicine for the spirit.
We commend all who have generously supported Camp Rising Sun over the years, either through donations of money, equipment or other resources. We also commend the volunteers who provide the staffing necessary to make the camp a success.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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