As it celebrates two decades of serving children affected by pediatric cancer, the Sunrise Association, based in Ocean-side, is now backed by compelling new research highlighting the powerful impact of its programs. A recently released study from Tel Aviv University’s School of Public Health provides concrete evidence that Sunrise — which operates 14 day camps across the United States and Israel — offers significant emotional and social benefits to children with cancer and their siblings.
“Sunrise Association partnered with the School of Public Health at Tel Aviv University to design and conduct this first-of-its-kind, IRB-approved study,” Chris Strom, the association’s chief marketing officer, said. “The research team, led by Deddy Paz, collaborated closely with Sunrise staff and our network of medical professionals to ensure the study design reflected both academic rigor and the unique realities of the Sunrise experience.”
According to Strom, the research teams spent months refining and testing the survey tools before launching the study across five U.S. Sunrise Day Camps in 2024. Sunrise staff members were trained to administer the surveys and support families throughout the process, ensuring that the evaluation was ethical, consistent and centered on children’s experiences. It used two standardized psychosocial questionnaires administered before camp, immediately after camp and again 12 weeks later. The questions assessed resilience, quality of life, stress and anxiety, sibling relationships, illness management, self-esteem and overall emotional well-being.
The children who attended the camps reported increased self-esteem, and confidence that continued to grow even after the summer. Their quality of life improved as well, with participants describing greater happiness, brighter moods and a more positive sense of well-being. The camps also had a measurable effect on sibling relationships, easing tensions and helping to build stronger family bonds.
Resilience, a key metric of emotional strength, rose sharply as children left camp feeling better equipped to manage life’s challenges. Those diagnosed with cancer also reported a better understanding of and ability to cope with their illness. Stress and anxiety levels dropped, with some children ending camp feeling less anxious than even their healthy siblings. Most notably, the emotional benefits did not fade quickly — resilience and emotional well-being remained strong 12 weeks after camp ended, especially among returning campers, who showed the most consistent growth over time.
“Resilience sustained months after camp is extraordinarily rare in our field — an unusual outcome for short-term psychosocial interventions,” Paz, the lead Tel Aviv University researcher, said in response to the findings. “Sunrise Day Camps demonstrate a model of psychosocial support that is both joyful and clinically significant.”
Strom noted that the response from families and partner hospitals has been overwhelmingly positive. Hospital partners also viewed the research as validation of Sunrise not just as a fun summer program, but also as a credible and trusted psychosocial intervention.
This summer, Sunrise Association welcomed 2,600 children to its day camps in the U.S. and Israel — its largest total enrollment yet. Since its founding, Sunrise has served more than 69,000 children annually through its camps, in-hospital programs and virtual experiences. With this new data in hand, the organization is now focused on ensuring that every child who needs support can access it.
“Sunrise was founded on the belief that every child deserves a summer filled with joy, friendship and healing,” said Arnie Preminger, president and CEO of the association. “This study affirms that the magic of Sunrise goes far beyond the summer — it builds emotional strength that endures.”
One innovation already expanding Sunrise’s impact is Sunrise Virtual Adventures, a partnership with Wild Immersion. The program uses virtual-reality headsets to bring immersive, joyful nature experiences to pediatric oncology units, Strom explained. Designed to provide children with moments of calm and wonder during hospital stays, the program is set to expand to 20 hospitals in 2026, following a successful pilot.
“We are focused on deepening impact through innovation,” Strom said. “Sunrise is also committed to building on the study’s insights to enhance camper care, strengthen resilience-building initiatives, and continue ensuring that every child facing cancer can experience the joys of childhood, free of charge.”
