Why We Walk for Sunrise – And Why You Should, Too
On Sunday, October 18, many of us will lace up our sneakers, drive out to National Harbor, and join a community of people dedicated to supporting Sunrise Day Camp—Greater Washington at the annual SunriseWALKS event. We walk to help fund this summer camp that is offered free to the families—bringing joy and connection to children with cancer and their siblings.
The dedicated folks who show up for SunriseWALKS might be unified in their goals, but their journeys to this moment took many paths. If you’re wondering why you might want to support one of the J’s most impactful programs, listen to some of Sunrise’s biggest supporters share why they walk.
Jose Corro, Sunrise parent
Jose walks because he knows firsthand what it’s like to have cancer disrupt a family’s life. His oldest son is a cancer survivor, and both of his boys are Sunrise campers.
Jose has been attending SunriseWALKS with his wife and two kids since 2023. “It’s honestly become one of our favorite family traditions,” he says. “Walking alongside other cancer fighters and their families makes us feel so supported and empowered. Looking around and seeing so many people showing up for our community reminds us that we’re never in this alone.”
Even though a busy family life makes fundraising difficult, Jose supports SunriseWALKS so the camp can continue to make life better for families like his.
Dale Bare, Sunrise Board Member
Dale Bare will attend her fourth SunriseWALKS this year and credits her dedication to pediatric cancer patients to two significant events in her life. The first is when the son of neighborhood friends developed brain cancer at a young age and ultimately passed away when treatment failed. “I hoped from that time on that, one day, I would be able to make a difference for other children like my neighbor,” she said.
The second was when her own son had to undergo open heart surgery at the age of 14. When she visited him in the pediatric cardiology unit, she would pass by the kids in the oncology ward. While she knew her son would recover from surgery, she “would think about these children in the oncology unit and wonder what life had in store for them as well as their families.” She wished she could do something to make a difference in their lives.
When she and her husband formed a company, BARE International, they chose Sunrise as the charitable organization their company would support and have sponsored SunriseWALKS the past three years. Dale uses her position to encourage participation among her employees, offering prizes to the biggest fundraisers for Sunrise in her organization.
Alexis Kirgan, Sunrise on Wheels Volunteer
Alexis is excited about her very first SunriseWALKS event this year. She’s a volunteer for Sunrise on Wheels, a year-round program that brings the Sunrise magic, in the form of games and crafts, to kids undergoing treatment in the pediatric oncology units of Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and Inova L. J. Murphy Children’s Hospital in Falls Church, VA.
“I have seen firsthand how much of an impact these types of camps have on the kids, giving them a chance to be a kid and take a break from the harder parts of their lives,” Alexis says. “They are able to play, make friends, and make memories that they can hopefully look back on when things get hard.”
Alexis’s fundraising strategy is to set aside money every time she gets paid to be used to donate to a good cause—in this case, SunriseWALKS.
Sophia Bartrum and Bradley Olson, co-founders of the GMU Sunrise Club
Sophia and Bradley are Sunrise Day Camp counselors who co-founded the Sunrise Club at George Mason University to help raise money and awareness for the program.
Supporting pediatric cancer patients is a cause dear to Sophia’s heart. “I have had a lot of very important people in my life affected by pediatric cancer, including my twin sister who had Wilms tumor,” she says. “I really wish that she and I were able to attend Sunrise when we were younger, as I have seen firsthand the incredible impact that Sunrise Day Camp has on kids with pediatric cancer and their siblings.”
Bradley fought his own battle with pediatric cancer but was too sick to attend Sunrise Day Camp. Once in remission, he finally had the chance to come to camp—as a counselor.
“Having the opportunity to be a part of this community and provide a reprieve from the everyday battle that is cancer has not only had a tremendous impact on my personal healing journey, but has also been the most fulfilling experience of my life,” he says. “This camp has an incalculable impact, as anyone who has been fortunate to enough to be a part of it knows.”
The GMU Sunrise Club has already raised more than $2,500 for SunriseWALKS through campus tabling events, social media, and presentations in classes. The group has also approached local businesses to ask if they’d make a donation.
“It’s been a good way to build a community of people who all want to raise money and awareness for an amazing cause,” she says.
What’s your Sunrise story?
You, too, can be a part of the Sunrise family and help give kids with cancer and their siblings a summer to remember. Form a team, raise money, donate, volunteer, or show up on October 18 and walk so that these kids can soar.
