Northbrook, IL-based Hilco Global made a $50,000 donation to Sunrise Day Camp-Chicago, a new day camp for children with a cancer diagnosis and their siblings, which will open this June in Lake Zurich, IL.
Sunrise Day Camp-Chicago will provide a full summer day camp experience specifically designed for children with a cancer diagnosis and their siblings (ages 3.5 to 16 years) completely free of charge.
Sunrise Day Camp-Chicago is a philanthropic collaboration between JCC Chicago and the Hecktman Family Foundation. Jeffrey B. Hecktman is the founder and CEO of Hilco Global.
Hecktman, his wife and their daughters were inspired and impressed by the Sunrise Day Camp model, and they felt strongly that kids in the Chicago metropolitan area deserved this same type of summer camp experience. Late last summer, the Hecktman Family Foundation announced plans to underwrite the first three years of the Sunrise Chicago camp operations and has been collaborating with JCC Chicago to open on the grounds of the Lake Zurich location. Hecktman has attracted other family offices, Hilco Global clients and its national lending partners/banks to make donations to launch the camp this summer.
“By providing children and their siblings who have been affected by a cancer diagnosis with a full summer camp experience, we are giving them something to look forward to and restoring some normalcy to their lives,” Hecktman said
The Sunrise Day Camp mission is focused on restoring the simple pleasures of childhood for children facing a cancer diagnosis, balancing months of loneliness and isolation with summers filled with sunshine, laughter and friends.
“Because Sunrise is a day camp, children can continue their medical treatment during the summer while participating in camp when they are physically able,” Hecktman said. “Unlike most oncology sleep-away camps that offer short programs each summer, Sunrise Day Camp is a full, eight-week summer program that welcomes children as often as they can attend.”
“We are excited to bring Sunrise Day Camp to Chicago and thankful to Jeff Hecktman, the Hecktman Family and to Hilco Global, who are passionate about community service and giving back to people in need,” Addie Goodman, president and CEO of JCC Chicago, said. “JCC Chicago is committed to the care and keeping of children and families, and we are so grateful to have such incredible partners to assist these children who have already lost so much.”
JCC Chicago is known for day and overnight camping and is committed to inclusion, and Sunrise Day Camp-Chicago is a natural addition to its programs and services.
“It is an honor to join the Sunrise family and provide a beautiful summer to these children,” Goodman said. “Camp is, indeed, one of childhood’s most normative and formative experiences.”
“One of Hilco’s core values is giving back to local communities in need across the globe. Sunrise Day Camp was a perfect fit with our Hilco Helps philanthropic mission (see hilcohelps.com), and the entire senior management team at Hilco Global was eager to deliver financial support and volunteers for such a unique and special program,” Gary Epstein, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Hilco Global, said. “The Hilco Helps team worked closely with JCC Chicago to understand their needs for this inaugural summer and how Hilco could assist. Ultimately, Hilco decided to underwrite the cost of feeding all campers and staff for the entire summer and will be launching the meals and snacks program called ‘Hilco Helpings.’
“Providing this Hilco Global donation and employee volunteers recognizes the extraordinary financial demands that pediatric cancer has on the families impacted, and we wanted to really help as the camp opens up this year. With the location of the first Sunrise Day Camp-Chicago right here in the northwest suburbs, we’ve had an outpouring of interest from employees to volunteer in order to make sure these kids have a fantastic summer camp experience.”
